Watch: Refs call bizarre taunting penalty on Eagles' Genard Avery
The Philadelphia Eagles fell behind early Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and were hoping to pull off a thrilling comeback.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers had the ball with a 28-22 lead with just over six minutes remaining. That's when Eagles defensive end Genard Avery entered himself into the narrative in the worst way possible.
The defender was hit with what can only be called a curious taunting call.
Genard Avery was called for "taunting" on this play... 🤨 #FlyEaglesFly
(via @NFLonFOX)
https://t.co/eWZKWI7266
Refs call questionable taunting penalty against Eagles' Genard Avery
Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette was getting up off the ground when he happened to bump into Avery. The Eagles defensive end was fired up and offered a glare at the running back. The referees determined this was an egregious offense.
Taunting in the #NFL is such a joke.
That's not a penalty on Genard Avery -- at all.
A 15-yard penalty was assessed for the foul and a nice stop on first down was wiped away. That put the Buccaneers at their own 42-yard line with a fresh set of downs.
The momentum was taken out of the Eagles defense and Brady proceeded to run out the clock.
The NFL now enforcing taunting penalties
Taunting has openly become a much larger focus for the NFL and its referees in 2021. Flags are being thrown with more frequency, but there is still no definitive answer on what defines a taunting call.
To have someone openly pointing and screaming at another player is one thing. Avery simply seemed to be talking a bit at Fournette after a nice play. Isn't that part of the heart and soul of football?
However, it should be noted that after the game, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni seemed to take the blame for the taunting call. While he did take the blame, he didn't go as far as to say the call was wrong.
Nick Sirianni says the Genard Avery taunting penalty was unacceptable and that falls on him for not having the team disciplined enough. #Eagles https://t.co/mY0nBwlcks
Rule changes are frequent in the NFL. One year it is reviewing pass interference calls, and the next it is calling taunting perhaps too much. The league may prefer to overcorrect before finding a proper middle ground on such penalties.
The taunting call did not outright lose the game for the Eagles. Yet it did come in a crucial late-game situation that made the call stand out. If not for the call, perhaps the Eagles may have completed the comeback.
Ultimately, the Eagles can learn from this call and be sure to avoid any potential altercations with opposing players near the end of games.