awfulannouncing
The NFL is grappling with a surge in penalty flags, and Scott Van Pelt has had enough. Officiating has dominated headlines this season, from a controversial Week 1 ruling involving Jared Goff's intent to throw a forward pass that negated a defensive touchdown, to flags flying in crucial moments that wipe out scores and sustain drives, to referees being suspended for confrontations with players.
On his SVPod, Van Pelt echoed the frustration of fans nationwide. 'It feels like there's a flag every third down and every red zone situation,' he said. He pointed to the Houston-Dallas game, where flags seemed to fuel drives endlessly. 'Just run through the defender. You're going to get a PI call. I hate the flags,' Van Pelt added.
He also referenced a Cincinnati game that had 24 penalties for 233 yards. 'These are two good teams and it was like every play. There were like three touchdowns taken back from penalties. And if it's a penalty it's a penalty. I don't want to bog this down with the officials but they're just far too involved. And they're far too involved in critical moments right now. Take a breath.'
Key Analysis
Van Pelt's frustration is supported by the numbers. According to Adam Schefter, the past week saw more penalties than any single week since 2015. Through four weeks, the league has accepted more penalties than in any year since 1978, when data first became available. The volume of flags, questionable calls, and referee actions have marred the season. Excessive yellow flags and officials overshadowing games risk alienating fans and damaging the NFL's image, a problem that has been all too common this year.
Originally reported by awfulannouncing.