Peter King Clamors For NFL To Enforce Rulebook; Thinks Bucs Were Robbed
October 30th, 2023
Demands change.
If the NFL wants fans to believe it is a credible organization and not one to bend the rules for favored teams, an influential stenographer of the game bangs his shoe on his desk and implores the league to change its ways no later than the kickoff to the 2024 season.
It seems anti-public-pot-smoking, cognac-splurging, clock-shopping, Olympics-flag-football-frowning, Concrete Mixer-spilling, Mother Jones-reading, airport-pianist-listening, Twitter-revolting, Purdue-basketball-confused, combine-fatigued, Bavarian-pretzel-chomping, teeth-brushing, haircut-fascinated, Circa-bewildered, elf-rattled, green-lawns-frowning, soggy-socks-wearing, Daylight-Savings-Time-scared, crossword-puzzle-puzzled, Elon-Musk-peeved, Barstool-Sports-triggered, almond-milk-sipping, hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L.-Bean-wearing, tennis fans’ advocate, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball-scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, Coors-Light-souring, pineapple-upside-down-cake-eating social activist and NFL insider Peter King, of NBC Sports fame, is outraged how the NFL fully throws out its rulebook time and again on just one play: The Hail Mary.
King, like all Bucs fans, saw tight end Cade Otton get mugged and tackled by two Buffalo defenders on the Hail Mary play to end Thursday’s game. It was so egregious to King that he took to his “Football Morning in America” pulpit today and all but ordering NFL strongman Roger Goodell to fix this pall and fix it soon.
King even called out former Bucs shot-caller Rich McKay, who leads the NFL competition committee, the governing body for rules changes, for this abortion of a play.
The Hail Mary. Can the NFL please fix it? Rich McKay, Walt Anderson, Roger Goodell, come on. Officials cannot simply watch players getting mugged and tackled on the last play of a game and look the other way, as they did in Bucs-Bills.
I think, speaking of the Bills-Bucs game, it contained a pet peeve of mine. On the Hail Mary (perfectly lofted 62 yards in the air into the end zone by Baker Mayfield, by the way), Tampa Bay tight end Cade Otten was held/interfered with/thrown down in a two-man vise with Taylor Rapp and Christian Benford the Buffalo offenders.
Except, on Hail Marys, there are never offenders. Anything goes. There is no play like this in football, and possibly in all of sports, where the officials see blatant pass interference and defensive holding (and some offensive penalties at times too) and never throw a flag. It’s a pet peeve because, how can the NFL officiating department expect us to believe all plays are officiated equally regardless of the situation when Otten gets mugged by two Buffalo defenders and lands on the ground and no flag is thrown? And then the NFL counts on people forgetting, which they’ve done this morning because 14 games were played Sunday, making it easy for everyone to just move on. Nothing to see here.
I think this is what should happen on Hail Marys. The Competition Committee and the commissioner should come out of next spring’s league meeting with a decree that says the play will be called differently going forward. Beginning in 2024, jostling will be allowed as players get in position for the Hail Mary pass to fall to earth. Pulling players down, blatantly holding them or locking them away from the play with two defenders will result in pass interference, with an untimed down for the offensive team at either the spot of the foul or the one-yard line. Bottom line: Officials cannot allow one play to be a bastardization of the rules, which is exactly what the Hail Mary is now. It is a joke, and the NFL has allowed it to be that.
Yeah, yeah, Joe gets it. “The NFL always allows this on Hail Marys.” But why? On what other play does the NFL fully throw its rulebook out the window?
King is also correct calling this a credibility issue. If the NFL looks the other way on blatant rules violations on the Hail Mary, on what other plays is the league allowing penalties to be ignored?
The NFL sure doesn’t have a problem with referees throwing their shoulders out tossing flags on interference calls or perfectly good tackles on quarterbacks. No, can’t throw enough flags there.
But a receiver gets sandwiched by two defenders like he’s a ballcarrier and, eh, Did you see anything? I didn’t see anything. #ShouldersShrug
If the Bucs miss out on a playoff berth by one game, that play Thursday night is going to haunt Joe for a decade or more.
However, it is clear on many replays that Mike Evans grabbed a Bills defender with two hands and threw him out of the way. So if the NFL enforced the rules, the net result would have been offsetting penalties.
Anyone remember that phantom offensive pass interference on felon Kellen Winslow against Detroit in 2010? Bucs had to settle for a field goal as Winslow’s touchdown was waived off and he didn’t even remotely commit a penalty.
The Bucs would go on to lose in overtime and missed out on the playoffs in a tiebreaker to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers. Some 13 years later, Joe still wakes up in the middle of the night wrestling with that call.
How can you square what happened Thursday with the flippant, “They do that all the time” nonsense?
Had the distance, but the hail mary is incomplete and the Bills will get the win. #TBvsBUF pic.twitter.com/VAGWiedAh6
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2023
October 30th, 2023 at 10:52 am
Thanks Peter, for the breathtaking insight into the blindingly obvious.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:05 am
No doubt, the most important pass of the game and no calls… there should have been at least 3 flags in the ground.
But, Bucs on the one yard line….Canales calls for a run over RG….White stuffed….Bucs lose anyway…
So, sleep easy, Joe!!!
October 30th, 2023 at 11:08 am
It’s not the first time the Bucs have been robbed. The NFL has made a habit of it.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:13 am
The only way this will change is if it happens on the last play of the Super Bowl, the global attention and criticism it would bring would demand it.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:15 am
The NFL looks at fhis as shut up you ungrateful pigs, you had your Superbowl recently.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:16 am
Bakey bois still crying about a missed hail mary?
Should be more concerned abot the 5.6 yards per attempt.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Baker threw a really nice pass on that play. Maybe we should incorporate some hail Mary’s into our regular offense.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:18 am
CBS Sports says PI on a Hail Mary has been called all of 2 times in the last 15 years. A Hail Mary is considered a free-for-all and rightly so. Peter needs to take another swig.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:20 am
Mike S Says: “Bakey bois still crying about a missed Hail mary? Should be more concerned about the 5.6 yards per attempt.”
No. You see, the 5.6 yards per pass attempt during the entire game was caused by the pass interference on the last play. /s
October 30th, 2023 at 11:22 am
I can’t believe the Bucs/Joe have sunk so low as to criticize a desperation last minute ” Hail Mary” failure where .001% succeed. Why does it come down to that anyway Joe. Your desperate and it’s starting to show. Keep the faith. The Bucs will take a deep breath and be back to their winning ways and all with be forgiven. Keeping it real in Ireland.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:22 am
CalBuc I think you are wrong, I think had third play been reversed and the Bucs mugged a Bill we would have seen 6 flags on the field. Every week the league has their teams that get brakes. I get it, it’s about ratings and Jersey sales and since we longer have #12, we are part of the leagues forgotten teams. Think of it like this: does any one remember those no name guys that used to wrestle Hulk Hogan when it wasn’t Wrestlemania? Well we are the Jack Bart of the NFL. No one cared about this no call because we aren’t really viewed as an NFL team by anyone outside of Florida
October 30th, 2023 at 11:26 am
That was pretty darn blatant, wasn’t it? I have to wonder if the shoe had been on the other foot and two Buc’s receivers mugged a Bills defender would that have been a non-call too? Or even worse: if the Bills had been the ones having that hail Mary and two Buc’s mugged Stephen Diggs instead would that still be a non-call? It’s getting to where many people honestly believe the refs are on the take.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:35 am
Disagree about Evans, I don’t think he threw anyone down. He did have his hands on him but the guy tripped on his teammate. It does happen all the time and I’ve always hated it. I used to watch the NBA and hated the end of close games there too.
You know what else is a bastardization of the rules? Spiking the ball to stop the clock. Intentional grounding is ok until it isn’t. I think we should get rid of intentional grounding (although I am probably the only one). That is the most misapplied rule in the sport.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:37 am
So if penalties aren’t called on ‘Hail Marys’ that means, that if an offense player ‘false starts’ or a lineman holds, they shouldn’t be penalties either. Same if the defense is offsides, roughs the passer, holds the receiver as they begin their route, facemasks and so on.
The rules are in place to try and ensure and fair game. Still no guarantee the Bucs would have scored on the following play, but they should have at least had the chance.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:38 am
It should never come down to one play. But sometimes it does. How many games have we watched where it came down to one play? So yeah, that play counts too. As does the officiating, or lack thereof. Nice for King to go from zero to hero with one post. Kind of. The fact that he chose a Bucs game to emphasize this blatant reality is nice as well. Will anything change? Probably not.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Godwin should’ve looked for the ball earlier.
That was the main offense and why that play wasn’t successful.
Such a perfect clutch throw/play by Baker (of which there were many on our last 2 drives).
October 30th, 2023 at 11:39 am
MEH … If you start calling PI on Hail Mary’s why not throw one on every 1st or 2nd down?
Ruin the games.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:40 am
Bucs got hosed on multiple PI no-calls throughout the game. It was ridiculous. C’mon refs!
October 30th, 2023 at 11:42 am
As a Bucs fan for over 25 years you realize you can’t even be put in this situation cause the refs never favor the Bucs. Most of the time you will see 6 / 8 penalties on the Bucs before the other team has received 1. The Brady years were the exception welcome to its a Bucs life…
October 30th, 2023 at 11:46 am
Peter King is spot on here much to the chagrin of the knuckle dragging mouth breathers. The kind who also think water breaks for high school football players makes them soft.
If Cody Mauch was holding on that play they would have thrown a flag. If there was a false start on that play they would have thrown a flag. If Godwin caught that pass and didn’t maintain “enough control” in the catching motion they would have ruled it incomplete.
The other big deal is that not calling the game fairly while having a very open relationship with sportsbooks and gambling adds another dimension. If the Bucs convert on that play the total on that game would have been over 43.5 which was set by Vegas. Did the referees know this? Did we have officials working that game who also had a wager on it?
We can’t have referees in the NFL officiate according to the game situation.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:50 am
Sounds like a good idea , if the defense commits the foul, give the offense one untimed play from the one, if the offense or both sides foul, the game ends , can’t think of anything fairer.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:58 am
Well, well, well, Conte P hit the nail right on the cheating head. My pet peeve is offensive holding. Stupid and/or bought off refs call it when they feel like it. Bucs are not the anointed in the NFL. Even when Brady was here, there were plenty of stinkeroo calls against Tampa Bay. The team just outplayed the refs and the opposing team. The Dungy SB team did the same. I figure it’s the way it is and I’ve dealt with it for 40+ years.
October 30th, 2023 at 11:58 am
Did we fix the run blocking yet?
October 30th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
WAAH! WAAH! Bakey averages only 11.4 points in the first 3 quarters so the refs need to help Bakey with penalties on the opposing team in garbage time so Bakey can win!
October 30th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
The refs were just allowing for a helment bounce to Mike Evans. That was the play Canales had called.
October 30th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
I agree with Peter for once.
October 30th, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Isn’t it interesting that everyone is upset except Todd Bowles. When asked about it in the press conference, he shrugged it off and just said casually, that they would never call that. No complaining to the NFL, no pissed off demeanor, no heated discussions with the refs. Thanks Peter King for getting worked up for us! Bowles can not effectively lead at this level.
October 30th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
We lost because we don’t have a competent offense for whatever reason. The rushing and passing is = malfunctioning.
October 30th, 2023 at 12:23 pm
you fix one thing, then there are two that need attention.
Missed calls, for whatever reason, are an epidemic all over the place.
No one wants 100 flags a game, it becomes unwatchable.
You can simpify the rulebook / increase referee discretion, or leave well enough alone. A chip within a football could help with line calls. Injury prevention could be prioritized.
Good luck cleaning this up
October 30th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Yeah, robbed, but the team should not be in that position.
Teams get homer calls all the time, for better or worse, Home Cooking.
October 30th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
There was just as much offensive pass interference as there was defensive. So what are they supposed to do flag every downfield player on the field.
A hail mary is unique in that everyone runs down the field – stops in the end zone and jockeys for position under the ball where the defenders are all ready there watching the ball come in. At that point the defenders also have a full right to the ball and that is why there is so much interference. If it was a throw to a particular receiver (which it never is) and one on one he is held a flag would be thrown.
October 30th, 2023 at 1:12 pm
Usually the jostling doesnt look like a NYC subway attack. This was egregious
October 30th, 2023 at 1:17 pm
If you have to throw a Hail Mary, you didn’t deserve to win.
October 30th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
It should be an easy play to defend and there is no reason to allow more jostling than usual.
October 30th, 2023 at 1:35 pm
T. McGee exactly
October 30th, 2023 at 1:47 pm
We couldn’t March down the field…. the offense wasnt making something happen….. it was penalties. Sooner or later the offense has to score points on its own. Actually make plays. Don’t rely on the refs.
October 30th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Big Wally Says: “A Hail Mary is unique in that everyone runs down the field – stops in the end zone and jockeys for position under the ball where the defenders are all ready there watching the ball come in. At that point the defenders also have a full right to the ball and that is why there is so much interference. If it was a throw to a particular receiver (which it never is) and one on one he is held a flag would be thrown.”
THIS! 100%! And this is why only 2 PIs have been called in the past 15 years of Hail Marys!
October 30th, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Man, yall fans really hate yor team don’t ya?
” Don’t nobody better say nothing positive about a team a 1/2 game out of first place!”
October 30th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
The game was lost when Baker only completed 16 passes before that last long drive that took about 8 minutes. The defense shut down Bills office in the second half and Baker still could not score until the lucky helmet bounce and using Bill penalties to sustain a drive and score a TD when the game was already decided.
October 30th, 2023 at 2:16 pm
Everyone forgets the bills punter had a hell of a game and every possession for the Bucs in the 4th started at the 5 yard line. It’s hard to get anything going with a one dimensional offense which is pass. They knew Bucs had to throw cuz Josh Allen carved the defense up all game. Bills were able to play off cuz bills knew they don’t have a run game and can’t run anyways.
October 30th, 2023 at 2:44 pm
Yawn. Terrible loss to a below average team. Clueless Todd!
October 30th, 2023 at 3:50 pm
There’s a couple things like that. If I hear “bang bang play” one more time on obvious DPI…and the thing where tackles do the jump kick thing prior to the snap.
October 30th, 2023 at 4:26 pm
Erik Hesson – Fine Artist and Founder of UniqueModernArt.com Says:
October 30th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Godwin should’ve looked for the ball earlier.
That was the main offense and why that play wasn’t successful.
———————————————————————————–
@Erik,
Check yesterdays post entitled “Breakdown Of The Near Hail Mary (And A Defense Of Chris Godwin)”
It explains why Godwin may have been facing towards the back of the endzone.
October 30th, 2023 at 4:35 pm
power sweep Says:
October 30th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Big Wally Says: “A Hail Mary is unique in that everyone runs down the field – stops in the end zone and jockeys for position under the ball where the defenders are all ready there watching the ball come in. At that point the defenders also have a full right to the ball and that is why there is so much interference. If it was a throw to a particular receiver (which it never is) and one on one he is held a flag would be thrown.”
THIS! 100%! And this is why only 2 PIs have been called in the past 15 years of Hail Marys!
————————————————————————————-
Sorry, but what “Big Wally” says here is 100% pure unadulterated horse manure.
Defenders have a full right to the ball on EVERY play. But they don’t have a right to mug and/or tackle a receiver. Except on a Hail Mary.
It makes zero sense. Many NFL games are determined by the last drive in the game, both in the regular season as well as in the playoffs. How does it make sense for a rule to be enforced on a 20 yard pass but ignored on a 50 yard pass?
October 30th, 2023 at 4:44 pm
Dreambig Says:
October 30th, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Isn’t it interesting that everyone is upset except Todd Bowles. When asked about it in the press conference, he shrugged it off and just said casually, that they would never call that. No complaining to the NFL, no pissed off demeanor, no heated discussions with the refs. Thanks Peter King for getting worked up for us! Bowles can not effectively lead at this level.
——————————————————————————–
@Dreambig,
Even if he was pissed off he can’t speak openly about what he’s feeling without getting fined by the NFL.
October 30th, 2023 at 7:09 pm
Did King call out the league when the league took a home game away from the Bills and made the Bills play a “home” game 5 hours away against a team that was there waiting for 2 weeks. That was a game the Bills lost 2 key players with season ending injuries. Would those players have had those serious injuries if they weren’t suffering jet lag. Does the league take away home games away from big city teams such as Dallas or NY. Buffalo is far from a favored team.
October 30th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
Right… since there are few PI calls on Hail Marys, let the defenders tackle receivers with impunity in the end zone. Better yet, let’s just call the game and end it early before the clock runs out.
October 31st, 2023 at 5:51 am
All the whinning about the Bucs got robbed but no one mentions that Evans threw down a defensive back in the end zone which could have been offensive pass interference.