Officiating again stole NFL spotlight
Travis Kelce and Kadarius Toney had combined to make the play of the season to give the Kansas City Chiefs a late lead when the celebration quickly turned to silence.
An offside penalty on Toney negated the score.
Anytime there’s a big play in an NFL game, announcers are quick to point out whether a yellow flag has been thrown. Fans can’t get too excited until they hear on television or see in person that there’s no penalty on the play. Players often hesitate to celebrate.
The quality of officiating in the NFL is inconsistent. But that’s nothing new. It’s been that way for decades. Even with instant replay, plenty of calls are missed.
It seems every week there’s at least one blown call or non-call in an important spot that helps change the outcome of a game.
Fans whine. Players and coaches complain. The league sometimes admits mistakes and admonishes referees.
Then, it happens again the following week and the week after that.
Overall, penalties are up this year but not by much. Entering Sunday night’s Eagles-Cowboys game, an average of 14.4 penalty flags were thrown per game. It was 13.1 last season.
The NFC East prime-time showdown started out like a flagfest with a national television audience watching. Officials threw eight flags in the first quarter and 17 total penalties were accepted in Dallas’ 33-13 victory over Philadelphia.
In Kansas City, the game-changing call wasn’t popular but it was accurate. Regardless, officiating is dominating headlines instead of the players’ performance on the field.
With the Chiefs trailing the Buffalo Bills 20-17 and under two minutes left, Kelce caught a pass over the middle
during the 2020 pandemic season were granted an extra year of eligibility and they are still making their presence felt around the country.
Eleven more fifth-year players made the second and third teams and there were eight sixth-year players selected to those teams, including Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Heisman runner up. Penix and the second-ranked Huskies face No. 3 Texas in the College Football Playoff ’s Sugar Bowl semifinal on Jan. 1.
Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt and Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were selected first-team All-Americans for the second straight year. Beebe and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers moved up from second team last season to first this year.
No. 5 Alabama led all teams with three first-team All-Americans, all on the defensive side: cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold and linebacker Dallas Turner.
The Crimson Tide, seeded fourth in the College Football Playoff, faces No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl semifinal on Jan. 1.
The AP All-America team was selected by a panel of 18 college Top 25 poll voters.
First Team (offense)
Quarterback – Jayden Daniels, fifth-year, LSU. Running backs – Ollie Gordon II, second-year, Oklahoma State; Cody Schrader, sixth-year, Missouri.
Tackles – Joe Alt, third-year, Notre Dame; Olu Fashanu, fourth-year, Penn State.
Guards – Cooper Beebe, fifth-year, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, fourth-year, Michigan.
Center – Jackson Powers-Johnson, third-year, Oregon.
Tight end – Brock Bowers, third-year, Georgia. Wide receivers – Malik Nabers, third-year, LSU; Marvin Harrison Jr., third-year, Ohio State; Rome Odunze, fourth-year, Washington.
All-purpose player – Travis Hunter, second-year, Colorado.
Kicker – Graham Nicholson, third-year, Miami (Ohio).
First Team (defense)
Edge rushers – Laiatu Latu, fifth-year, UCLA; Jalen Green, fifth-year, James Madison.
Interior linemen – T’Vondre Sweat, fifth-year, Texas; Jer’Zahn Newton, fourth-year, Illinois.
Linebackers – Payton Wilson, sixth-year, North Carolina State; Edgerrin Cooper, fourth-year, Texas A&M; Dallas Turner, third-year, Alabama.
Cornerbacks – Cooper DeJean, third-year, Iowa; Kool-Aid McKinstry, third-year, Alabama.
Safeties – Malaki Starks, second-year, Georgia; Xavier Watts, fourth-year, Notre Dame.
Defensive back – Terrion Arnold, third-year, Alabama.
Punter – Tory Taylor, fourth-year, Iowa.
Second Team (offense)
Quarterback – Michael Penix Jr., sixth-year, Washington.
Running backs – Audric Estime, third-year, Notre Dame; Omarion Hampton, second-year, North Carolina.
Tackles – Taliese Fuaga, fourth-year, Oregon State; JC Latham, third-year, Alabama.
Guards – Tate Ratledge, fourth-year, Georgia; Clay Webb, fifth-year, Jacksonville State.
Center – Sedrick Van Pran, fourth-year, Georgia. Tight ends – Dallin Holker, fifth-year, Colorado State. Wide receivers – Troy Franklin, third-year, Oregon; Malik Washington, fifth-year, Virginia; Luther Burden III, second-year, Missouri.
All-purpose player – Ashton Jeanty, second-year, Boise State.
Kicker – Jose Pizano, third-year, UNLV.
Second Team (defense)
Edge rushers – Jonah Elliss, third-year, Utah; Jared Verse, fourth-year, Florida State.
Interior linemen – Byron Murphy II, third-year, Texas; Howard Cross III, fifth-year, Notre Dame.
Linebackers – Jeremiah Trotter Jr., third-year, Clemson; Jason Henderson, third-year, Old Dominion; Jay Higgins, fourth-year, Iowa.
Cornerbacks – Quinyon Mitchell, fourth-year, Toledo; Beanie Bishop Jr., sixth-year, West Virginia.
Safeties – Tyler Nubin, fifth-year, Minnesota; Caleb Downs, first-year, Alabama.
Defensive back – Kris Abrams-Draine, fourth-year, Missouri.
Punter – Matthew Hayball, sixth-year, Vanderbilt.
Third Team (offense)
Quarterbacks – Bo Nix, fifth-year, Oregon.
Running backs – Blake Corum, fourth-year, Michigan; Kimani Vidal, fourth-year, Troy.
Tackles – Javon Foster, sixth-year, Missouri; Troy Fautanu, fifth-year, Washington.
Guards – Christian Haynes, sixth-year, UConn; Luke Kandra, fourth-year, Cincinnati.
Center – Zach Frazier, fourth-year, West Virginia. Tight end – Ben Sinnott, fourth-year, Kansas State. Wide receivers – Ricky White, fourth-year, UNLV; Brian Thomas Jr., third-year, LSU; Tetairoa McMillan, second-year, Arizona.
All-purpose player – Xavier Worthy, third-year, Texas. Kicker – Will Reichard, fifth-year, Alabama.
Third Team (defense)
Edge rushers –Chop Robinson, third-year, Penn State; Bralen Trice, fifth-year, Washington.
Interior linemen – Kris Jenkins, fourth-year, Michigan; Braden Fiske, sixth-year, Florida State.
Linebackers – Nathaniel Watson, sixth-year, Mississippi State; Edefuan Ulofoshio, sixth-year, Washington; Danny Stutsman, third-year, Oklahoma.
Cornerbacks – Ricardo Hallman, third-year, Wisconsin; T.J. Tampa, fourth-year, Iowa State.
Safeties – Trey Taylor, fifth-year, Air Force; Dillon Thieneman, first-year, Purdue.
Defensive back – Sebastian Castro, fifth-year, Iowa. Punter – James Ferguson-Reynolds, second-year, Boise State.