Ball don’t lie: 3 worst calls from Week 7 in the NFL

1. What’s the opposite of roughing the passer?

On the one hand, protecting quarterbacks is ideal in a league so predicated on the passing game. On the other, tackling must be legal.

In Matthew Stafford’s return to Georgia, where he spent his college days, he was gifted a roughing the passer call that ought to make Falcons’ fans’ skin crawl.

Stafford stepped up in the pocket and took a big hit from a Falcons defender. The form was precise and did not make contact with Stafford’s helmet, rather focusing on the shoulder-pads and below. It’s exactly how players are taught to make good, hard contact with the quarterback while he remains in the pocket. It did not matter.

The Falcons were furious, and had they known the play that went uncalled in the Steelers-Titans game, they would’ve been even angrier.

I’m not saying Bud Dupree roughed Ryan Tannehill. I am saying the lack of consistency is disturbing. If the hit on Stafford is a penalty, then Dupree should’ve been victimized as well. We can’t have it both ways.

Recap: Quarterback hits have long been a hot button conversation around league circles. That will continue, especially after this week. This lack of consistency referenced multiple times above comes from the top, as the rulebook doesn’t lay out clearly-defined examples for today’s officials. Until that happens, we’re stuck in purgatory. Overall grade: D+