OTL: Death, Taxes, Tucker, & NFL Officiating Controversies

Death, taxes, and Justin Tucker nailing his kicks.

JUSTIN TUCKER'S FG WINS IT FOR THE @Ravens‼️ pic.twitter.com/xg0PFS9dxj

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 10, 2022

I know some Ravens fans out there won’t believe me, but there was a time when kicking situations held an actual element of suspense. I have memories of kicks sailing wide that will probably haunt me for the rest of my days, but for the sake of not retraumatizing the fanbase, we won’t talk about those. Instead, I’ll emphasize something that the NFL world has been talking about since that kick sailed through on Sunday night: we are so damn lucky to have JT9.

I TRUST TUCKER’s foot more than I trust any qbs arm or rb’s legs. Who disagrees? You see him trot on the field with a chance to win the gm. Start warming up your bus.

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) October 10, 2022

I don’t trust many people in my life more than I trust @jtuck9 kicking a field goal.

The GOAT! 🐐

— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) October 10, 2022

I feel like at times, our fanbase might have the tendency to get jaded to just how valuable Tucker actually is. To his credit, he reminds us on nearly a weekly basis, but perspective is important, too. You don’t have to search very far to find examples of how badly a missed kick can burn you; in fact, it was on full display just a week ago. If you asked Saints fans what they would’ve given up to have Tucker in this spot, I imagine the answer would have been “a whole lot.”

DOUBLE DOINK HEARTBREAK FOR THE SAINTS 💔

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/Icv0GdUK4D

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 2, 2022

When the Ravens got the ball back late in the game on Sunday trailing by two, there were a lot of reasons that I was sweating bullets, but kicking wasn’t one of them, and that fact is amusing to me in hindsight. This is the world of football, as unpredictable a sport as there is, and one of the most stress-inducing situations for most fans bases just… isn’t for ours.

Part of the reason I emphasize that is that, while kicking should have been a concern but wasn’t, there was another issue that shouldn’t have been a concern, but was. For the second week in a row, that concern was officiating.

Somebody show me where the 2nd man in motion is and I’ll give them a million Stanley nickels https://t.co/RJrKjAb21g

— Respectful Banks (@BarstoolBanks) October 10, 2022

How did the refs miss the holding on Odafe Oweh? That was blatant.

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) October 10, 2022

Normally, I’m a subscriber to the idea that you shouldn’t leave the game close enough to be decided by the officials anyway. Sunday’s game felt different in that both teams had played such an even game, with big plays and mistakes either way, that one bad call could truly decide the game. All it would have taken to derail that two-minute drill for the Ravens was a blown call at a bad time, and outside of a costly turnover, it was all I could think about. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, but as a fan, frankly, that sucks.

Ravens fans obviously don’t have a monopoly on getting screwed by officiating, and I feel like it makes it that much more apparent that the NFL has a serious problem. Baseball has been notorious for this, but generally, if fans know an umpire by name, it’s not a good thing (looking at you, Angel Hernandez). After Jerome Boger’s crew botched several calls in costly situations last week, they managed to make the Falcons-Bucs game another episode of “The Ref Show” this week.

This may be the WORST roughing the passer penalty I’ve ever seen. Embarrassingly bad call. The Falcons got screwed.

(🎥: @TrainIsland)pic.twitter.com/KdvC0mi2KJ

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 9, 2022

Micah Parsons of the Cowboys also chimed in on a missed call from their game against the Rams, and I think the picture pretty much speaks for itself.

We won’t call this but we’ll call a roughing the passer lol! Can we focus in and protect defensive players ? pic.twitter.com/7i1I62yoZZ

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) October 10, 2022

I don’t want to be “that guy” complaining about officiating following a win, but it’s been a serious problem for a while. It’s almost becoming commonplace to see at least one game per week hinging on a costly missed call or a questionable penalty, and it waters down the quality of the product.

If the officials want to make it all about them, Cordarelle Patterson of the Falcons seems happy enough to give Jerome Boger the spotlight he’s seeking.

Cordarrelle Patterson changed his profile pic to Jerome Boger, the ref who called roughing the passer against the Falcons 😅 pic.twitter.com/WhrCdYGzEp

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 10, 2022

Last night on Monday Night Football, the officials were again at the center of the action.

The Chiefs got a sack and forced a fumble here.

It was called Roughing the Passer.

This rule HAS to change. It’s football. #MNF

pic.twitter.com/nLtSwZxNXR

— “This Guy Greg” (@CallMeGreg4) October 11, 2022

This is not football anymore. I know we have to protect the QB but Chris Jones was recovering a fumble. We have gotten ridiculous with this.

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) October 11, 2022

I’m sitting at a bar drinking Tito’s with chief fans yelling at me. I DO NOT BLAME THEM!

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) October 11, 2022

Troy Aikman wants the NFL to “take the dresses off” and fix roughing the passer penalty pic.twitter.com/YY4MicVKvU

— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) October 11, 2022

It just wouldn’t be an NFL season without yet another officiating controversy.