Officials missed a game-changing facemask penalty in the late stages of the “Monday Night Football” game between the Eagles and Commanders.
Jamin Davis was the would-be guilty party, clearly grabbing the facemask of Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. The tight end fumbled the ball as he was getting tackled by Davis and John Ridgeway. The play as called on the field was a fumble recovery for a touchdown, though replay showed Davis was touched down by Goedert.
Here’s the play, in which Davis clearly grabs Goedert’s facemask, yanking his head downward:
Looks like a facemask 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/ln41bCApxc
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) November 15, 2022
MORE: Commanders vs. Eagles live score, updates, highlights from NFL ‘Monday Night Football’ game
Unfortunately for Eagles fans, penalties by rule can’t be reviewed if they’re not called on the field. So even though replay clearly showed the infraction, all officials could do was reverse the call of a touchdown, giving the Commanders the ball at the Philadelphia 34.
The Eagles defense stood tall, forcing Washington to kick a 55-yard field goal. But the play took a scoring opportunity off the board and made it to where the Eagles had to score a touchdown instead of a field goal for a go-ahead opportunity.
The Commanders eventually won the game 32-21 following a last-second fumble recovery for a touchdown on a desperation play by the Eagles. Philadelphia had three scoring opportunities after the play, which resulted in a fumble by Quez Watkins after a long completion by Jalen Hurts; a punt; and the game-ending play, snapped from the Eagles’ 10-yard line.
Regardless of Philadelphia’s chances, Eagles fans and neutral observers were made at officials for missing the call — and at NFL rules that prohibit them from being called:
Solution to this is a Skyjudge and they have to buzz down to make the call before the next play gets run.
If you can’t tell in 30 seconds between plays, it’s not clear enough to make the call, thereby setting an automatic threshold.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 15, 2022
Guess they’re not going to call that blatant face mask.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 15, 2022
This was not called a facemask. pic.twitter.com/ckSUa8XPIS
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 15, 2022
No face mask was called here 😬
pic.twitter.com/Bgf92YPquN— PFF (@PFF) November 15, 2022
He fumbled because he was getting his eye gouged and his neck ripped off! #Eagles #MNF
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 15, 2022
Refs missed possibly the most obvious facemask in a very long time. Costly for Phillypic.twitter.com/qKOd3tpnmO
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 15, 2022
He is standing right in front of the fucking play as Goedert gets his facemask pulled off?!
Fire this blind man.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/Jj8LOUOLw8
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) November 15, 2022
How did the refs just miss as blatant a face mask grab and yank as you will ever see??? So many blown calls this NFL week. Our greatest spectator sport must get better at officiating it.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 15, 2022
Refs are reviewing it. But they clearly missed a major facemask
Fans are pissed pic.twitter.com/XgyuTstMIF
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) November 15, 2022
That should have been a touchdown. They ruled him down as a clunky way of making up for the missed facemask.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 15, 2022
I don’t think penalties should be reviewable. I just think that the league office in New York should be able to radio in to the umpire and say “hey, Twitter is cooking us right now, they got screenshots and everything, let’s call that face mask.” Power to the people!
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 15, 2022
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