Watch: Bucs benefit from questionable roughing the passer call

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Bucs benefit from questionable roughing the passer on Tom Brady

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 1/16/22

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got out to a fast start in their Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and they may have gotten an early assist from the officiating crew.

The Bucs looked like they were about to face 3rd-and-10 from their own side of the field following back-to-back Tom Brady incompletions. However, Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett was called for roughing the passer on Brady. You can see the play below:

This was just called a roughing the passer penalty and Tom Brady barely got hit pic.twitter.com/C8MGznZkZz

— Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL) January 16, 2022

Barnett may have hit Brady a tad late, but he appeared to be pushed by an offensive lineman. The hit also wasn’t low. Troy Aikman and FOX rules analyst Mike Pereira both agreed that the flag should not have been thrown. Pereira speculated that Barnett was called for a low hit, but he did not hit Brady in the knee area or below.

The Buccaneers marched down the field following the penalty and took a 7-0 lead.

We saw plenty of costly roughing the passer penalties during the regular season that should not have been called. The NFL has placed an emphasis on protecting quarterbacks in recent years, but the rule is often officiated incorrectly.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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