Football fans were complaining about the NFL refs early and often during the Kansas City Chiefs-Baltimore Ravens Kickoff Game on Thursday night.
It wouldn’t be the typical start of football season without the NFL refs stealing the show right off the bat. And that’s what happened in the first quarter of the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium.
The officials threw four flags on the Ravens’ opening drive, including three illegal formation penalties against Baltimore’s offensive line. The third infraction wiped out a Jaylen Watson defensive pass interference penalty against Baltimore wideout Zay Flowers.
Even though the four penalty calls were clearly infractions, fans have already gotten fed up with head official Shawn Hochuli and the NFL refs:
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Well, the officials started to hold the laundry in their pockets after the Ravens’ opening drive that resulted in a Derrick Henry rushing score. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith was issued a 15-yard penalty for an illegal tackle, and the next two drives featured no penalties whatsoever.
The Chiefs aim to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowl championships, having defeated the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s big game to complete the first repeat in 19 years.
And another reminder for fans with Week 1 finally upon us: Expect more penalties than usual, since teams will naturally be rusty after a long offseason.
NFL Refs Will Be A Top Focus Again This Season
Football fans don’t like it, but the officials are going to be a top storyline one way or another this season. There are countless officiating controversies every year, but the NFL has done very little to try and improve the quality of officiating.
The league could also expand its rules for reviewable plays, but there’s little reason to think they’ll do that. Remember, the rule which allowed teams to review pass interference and non-PI calls lasted just one season.
