Jason Kelce moved the football before the snap on Monday Night Football, and the Eagles were penalized, losing five yards on third-and-1 and then failing to convert on the next play. They had to settle for a field goal, which ended up costing them big time since they ended up losing the game by three points to the Seattle Seahawks.
NFL fans watching Monday night’s Eagles-Seahawks game were so confused when officials called Jason Kelce for a false start but the Eagles star wasn’t confused by it all.
The Eagles center spoke about the penalty after the game and said the refs have been warning him for years about moving the ball up a little bit before the snap and that they finally called a penalty on him.
“They’ve been warning me of that for years,” Kelce said, via Pro Football Talk. “I had a tendency to do that in the past so they’ve definitely warned me before. I’ve got to be smarter, especially in that situation.”
Kelce believes he would’ve gotten away with this move if the Eagles weren’t in a short-yardage situation.
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“I think if that’s a full yard to gain, probably not as much, but because it was so short, if I move it forward at all it’s going to be called, and I’ve just got to be smarter than that.”
Clearly, those years of being warned and not penalized led him to believe he could keep doing it until it costs them and it did so in a huge way.
Now he knows refs will be watching and calling it a lot more so that practice has to end.
The Eagles still control their NFC East destiny and have a favorable schedule remaining with matchups against the Giants and Cardinals.
The Eagles host the Giants on Christmas Day Monday as they hope to end
