Ball don’t lie: 3 worst calls from Week 6 in the NFL

Taunting, for once, wasn’t the storyline in Week 6, as the NFL’s officials found new ways to infuriate fans across the league rather than their usual antics.

This doesn’t mean, however, that the zebras didn’t find a way to penalize light contact for no good reason.

Taunting calls are generally maddening, as they limit self-expression in a game predicated on violence and individualism. Far too often, owners and those who would rather the game be played by robotic versions of the players we’ve grown to love win out. Even if not through means of taunting penalties, officials limit contact to the nth degree, despite the game being advertised as having the exact opposite approach.

This leads to some troubling interpretations of the rulebook, the likes of which can only be described with negative adjectives.

3 worst calls from Week 6 in the NFL

Buccaneers should’ve been called for pass interference: Jalen Hurts is having enough trouble leading the Philadelphia offense this season, let alone when the referees aren’t on his side. As Hurts tried to find an Eagles wideout cutting back to the ball, he didn’t expect the Buccaneers’ secondary to straight up tackle his target.

When this happened, Hurts’ should’ve been able to at least count on the flag. Yet, no flash of yellow came, and the Eagles were left with another incompletion in a game full of them for their side.

Look — the early-week start always takes some getting used to for fans and likely even the officials, but that much hand-to-hand combat better be left for a martial arts class, rather than a football game — especially in the secondary.

The Eagles would lose at home by a final score of 28-22.