NFL Fans Were Rightfully Livid Over Lame Roughing the Passer Call in Commanders-Patriots

NFL officiating has been increasingly criticized each week with viewers noting the many bad or perplexing calls made in nearly every game. 

A frequently scrutinized penalty is roughing the passer with defensive players appearing to hit quarterbacks cleanly, only to be flagged for apparently tackling a millisecond too late or landing with their full weight on the signal-caller. 

One such call occurred in Week 9’s Commanders-Patriots matchup during a third-quarter hit from Washington’s K.J. Henry on New England quarterback Mac Jones. Henry ran around left tackle Conor McDermott and made what looked like a clean tackle on Jones. However, the Commanders’ defensive end drew a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on the play. 

Fans and media couldn’t believe the call. Here’s a sampling from social media:

Tackling the quarterback. Fifteen yards. First down. pic.twitter.com/r04lSNj5vs

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 5, 2023

Maybe the worst Roughing the Passer penalty I’ve ever seen. No clue what KJ Henry is supposed to do here. pic.twitter.com/AyWxWRspDm

— Jake (@JakeAndBall) November 5, 2023

Maybe the worst Roughing the Passer penalty I’ve ever seen. No clue what KJ Henry is supposed to do here. pic.twitter.com/AyWxWRspDm

— Jake (@JakeAndBall) November 5, 2023

HOW IS THIS ROUGHING THE PASSER??

KJ Henry got robbed of a sack

Refs are losing their sh**. Is he supposed to put him on a blanket?#NFL #WASvsNE

pic.twitter.com/LVQI4SLPmo

— Jens CFB (@vanhullejens) November 5, 2023

The roughing the passer call on Washington’s KJ Henry on Mac Jones, is so embarrassing to the league, it’s getting absolutely ridiculous.

— Mike Golic (@golic) November 5, 2023

That should've-been sack by KJ Henry would've been huge — for the game and himself. Would've been back-to-back big plays for Washington's rookie D-ends. Andre Jones Jr. had a batted pass on the 2nd-and-10 before that play.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 5, 2023

Fans were disappointed that Henry had what would’ve been the rookie’s first career NFL sack taken away by the penalty. But much more than that, viewers were outraged over what was seemingly a clean hit that was within the rules of how a defensive player is allowed to hit an offensive player. 

There was nothing dirty or dangerous about the tackle. It was a solid football play. Yet the official ruled Henry roughed the quarterback. Will the NFL admit after the game that the wrong call was made here?