Horrible roughing-the-passer call mars ending of Bucs-Falcons

Atlanta defensive lineman Grady Jarrett was called for a roughing the passer penalty against Tom Brady following a third-down sack late in the fourth quarter. The play, had it stood, would have likely led to a Tampa Bay punt and allowed Atlanta a chance to drive for a game-winning touchdown. Instead, Boger called the penalty, giving the Buccaneers a fresh set of downs and effectively ending the game. 

Tampa Bay escaped with a victory and several people were outraged over the perceived preferential treatment given to Brady as well as Boger's officiating.  

Jarrett did everything right on the play. He wrapped up Brady by the waist and spun him to the ground. It was a seemingly clean play; the type coaches teach defenders to make. While it appeared as though Boger may have made the call as a kneejerk reaction to Tagovailoa's head injury against the Bengals, the referee debunked that myth after the game. When asked if a play such as the one that injured Tagovailoa is one that he has "made a specific measure to watch out for," Boger replied, "no, not necessarily."

The embattled referee said he made the call because "the defender grabbed the quarterback while he was in the pocket, and unnecessarily [threw] him to the ground." 

While no one can argue against erring on the side of player safety, Jarrett's sack of Brady on Sunday didn't qualify as being excessive or "unnecessary," per Boger's description.

This isn't the first time Boger has faced scrutiny for his officiating. Just last week, fans were upset over a roughing the passer penalty against the Baltimore Ravens in their game versus the Buffalo Bills. And in a 2022 AFC Wild Card game, Boger's crew botched the ending of the Oakland Raiders-Cincinnati Bengals game so badly that they were told to stay home the rest of the postseason.

As the league toes the line between protecting its players while acknowledging the sports' inherent riskiness, Sunday's call shows just how thin that line is. If these types of calls continue to hamper the product on the field, the NFL's competition committee may need to make changes to the league's current rules. 

In college football, for instance, personal fouls that are initially ruled as "targeting," which is when a "player makes forceable contact against an opponent with the crown of the helmet," are immediately subject to video review. Perhaps the league will look into making some, if not all, personal foul penalties reviewable in future seasons. 

While there is no obvious solution, a glaring problem in the NFL reared its head Sunday afternoon. How the league handles these situations going forward will determine if fans keep tuning in.