Tom Brady roughing the passer controversy: Falcons RB takes shot at NFL ref with hilarious Twitter display picture
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came away with a 21-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons at home, but not without stoking some controversy.
With just about three minutes left in the game, Brady was sacked by Atlanta's two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
However, referee Jerome Boger called a roughing the passer penalty on Jarrett, leading to a 15-yard penalty that gave Tampa Bay a first down.
Atlanta running back Cordarrelle Patterson was understandably incensed after the event, taking to Twitter to vent his frustrations in a, let's say, "unique" manner:
https://t.co/tqxIqlh8za
Patterson's tweet was to emphasize that this isn't the first time this season that Boger missed the call and Jarrett wasn't even close to roughing the passer on Brady.
Patterson didn't stop there, either. The Falcons running back changed his own display picture to the ref, further stressing his point.
When Brady was asked about the controversial call in the game, he simply replied:
“I don’t throw the flags.”
However, this isn't the first time that Boger has missed a roughing the passer penalty in a game.
In fact, you have to go back approximately one week for another such instance.
Boger and his officiating crew called roughing the passer on Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens after a tackle on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
It happened with almost two minutes remaining in the game.
When Boger was asked by reporter Jeff Zrebiec about the penalty on Stephens, the referee said:
"What I had was forcible contact in the head/neck area of the quarterback with the helmet."
What does the NFL rule book say about roughing the passer in light of the Tom Brady controversy?
According to Rule 12, Section 2, Article 11 of the NFL rulebook, it has this to say about what roughing the passer is:
"Because the act of passing often puts the quarterback (or any other player attempting a pass) in a position where he is particularly vulnerable to injury, special rules against roughing the passer apply. The Referee has principal responsibility for enforcing these rules."
"Any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after a pass) which, in the Referee’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls."
That being said, the question was whether Brady was vulnerable to injury in reference to being sacked by Jarrett.
Many NFL fans didn't agree with Boger's call of the penalty.
We'll see if the NFL looks into how the rule is enforced as the 2022 season progresses.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Jeff Darlington, Jamison Henley, NFL Football Operations, USA Today, and H/T Sportkeeda.