Preposterous Penalty in Week 2 - Next Stop DC

It was all doom and gloom regarding Aaron Rodgers’ injured left knee yet the future Hall-of-Famer donned a knee brace and overcame adversity…again. The numbers weren’t gaudy but a nine-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams and 281 yards passing was good enough to secure a tie with the Vikings in a game that was decided by poor kicking as well as poor officiating. The final score read 29-29 and it was a kiss-your-sister kind of outcome to a pivotal game against a divisional rival. A tie in the NFL is better than a loss but not much better.

The roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews was not only wrong, it changed the course of the game. Referees are far too eager to throw a flag instead of allowing the play to continue after a legitimate hit on the passer. The officials are unduly protecting the quarterback which is tarnishing the integrity of the game itself. It has come to the point where any hit on a quarterback without the ball in hand has become verboten.

The 15-yard penalty on Matthews gave the Vikings new life, a Lazarus moment if you will, and allowed them to erase an eight-point deficit to tie the game. Despite the company line uttered by the league brass that such a call was in keeping with their policies to protect the passer, nobody is buying it and even the most devout Vikings’ fan has to be snickering at the absurdity of the penalty. Snicker away Minnesota fans because your time will come – unfortunately.

As we pursue the odds over Sportsbetting.ag, one of the industry’s most trusted and reputable online sportsbooks, we see that the Packers are three-point road favorites in Washington this week. Certainly, we shouldn’t be surprised after Rodgers solid performance despite dealing with a balky left knee and the Redskins’ lackluster loss at home to the Colts. Washington, a team that tore it up on the ground in their season opener with 182 yards rushing over the Cardinals, were stymied by the Colts’ defense and held to only 65 yards in their 21-9 home loss. Despite passing for 292 yards, Skins’ quarterback Alex Smith was held without a touchdown and his receiving corps had more drops than UPS last week.

These teams don’t meet often with the last game resulting in a 42-24 Washington victory back in November of 2016. But the trepidation we have with backing the Pack in this game is the possibility of an emotional letdown after getting a victory snuffed out against a fierce divisional rival due solely to a poor officiating call. It ultimately forced Green Bay into an overtime battle on the field instead of a celebration off of it. It’s never easy to lay points on the road and we suspect the Redskins resemble more of the team that whooped the Cardinals in the desert in Week 1 than the one that bowed to the Colts in DC in Week 2. The oddsmakers understand that winning on the road is never easy, especially when the team has a bullseye on its back like the Packers. In addition, there are a few ominous trends heading into Week 3 for Green Bay as they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall while the Redskins are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss.

Good teams win tough games and the Packers are just such a team. But a point spread is designed for a reason and if Green Bay wins this road tilt over Washington by less than a field goal you’ll be able to celebrate the victory but mourn the loss to your bankroll. Let’s see and hope if the Packers can shake off the stench of poor officiating from last week and roll to victory in Week 3 in Washington. 

 

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Comments (11)

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J0hn Denver's Gavel's picture

September 20, 2018 at 02:47 am

so, what's the line?

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BoCallahan's picture

September 20, 2018 at 05:53 am

It’s Thursday and we are still talking (complaining) about “that play.” It stung us all deeply and has created a bad taste in our mouths that we can’t seem to shake. I had some Chicken Booyah last week that had the same affect (affect vs effect - I’m confused, you choose). But what really has us confused is the new direction the NFL is going. If they are using film from Clay’s sack as promotional material of what NOT to do, then we like the 32 teams better figure it out and adjust our thinking regarding the sack of a QB. The NFL is heading in this direction with or without us.
Traditional football is a thing of the past. It is not dying - it’s dead. Skyrocketing insurance claims/costs, fine print contracts, protecting investments, out of control salaries, politically correct thinking, and a host of other factors has swept away the game we remember. WELCOME TO THE NEW NFL. It evolved over night while we are left stuck in the mud. Someone is going to write a book about the changing NFL and make a mint. May be it’s already out?

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Since'61's picture

September 20, 2018 at 07:04 am

Bo - affect is a verb meaning to influence something. Effect is a noun meaning something has been influenced, e.g., the "desired effect".

The book is Big Game, the NFL in Dangerous Times by Mark Liebovich. I'm reading it now but not done yet.

I hope this helps. Thanks, Since '61

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BoCallahan's picture

September 20, 2018 at 07:45 am

Thanks 61!
I read that definition and still got it wrong. If only the NFL was willing to admit their errors so readily. I will join you in reading that book, hopefully the library carries it.
Regarding defenses and their treatment of QBs, while we may be remembering the good ol’ days, the 32 defenses need to quickly figure out what they can and can’t do. Once again they will have to change their technique to appease the ever changing standard - or, not so standard, standard.

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dobber's picture

September 20, 2018 at 07:46 am

There's a reason why when I write I specifically avoid those two words... ;)

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BradHTX's picture

September 20, 2018 at 09:44 am

There’s an easy mnemonic device for remembering:

The “A”ction is “A”ffect, the “E”nd result is “E”ffect

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Handsback's picture

September 20, 2018 at 07:33 am

Good point Bo and the next topic in Cheesehead deals with that issue so enjoy.
Before we get to the Redskins game I want to point out that the Vikes did play the Pack at Green Bay, but everyone thinks they are the better team. Green Bay tied them with their QB on one leg. Did the Vikings have anyone in a premier position on their team missing or leave for most of the game? (I think not, but if wrong it will be pointed out by someone I'm sure.)

Here's my point the superior team came into Green Bay and left with a tie, against a QB on one leg. Yet they went up in some team rankings and the Packers went down. I hope people keep saying how old and beat-up the Packers are as they watch how they rack up the wins. They might not beat the point spread this week w/o King, but they will win and will surprise the so-called experts by their position at the end of the season. Then the bandwagon will have no room for the experts to get on it.

Green Bay has very dangerous team and when they start hitting on all cylinders-watch out!

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egbertsouse's picture

September 20, 2018 at 08:26 am

They should rename this site to “Whine and Cheesehead TV.”

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BoCallahan's picture

September 20, 2018 at 08:54 am

Egbertsouse,
I must admit, that made me laugh!

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PatrickGB's picture

September 20, 2018 at 09:51 am

And “Affect” in psychology means mood or feeling that one can often observe.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

September 20, 2018 at 10:47 pm

If the NFL doesn't clean up its act, blogs could have a weekly series called Preposterous Penalties of the Week.

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