Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins was called for a holding penalty on Sunday that left fans stunned.
Dawkins’ Bills were tied with the Baltimore Ravens 7-7 late in the first quarter of in their Divisional Round playoff game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bills had a 2nd-and-7 from the Baltimore 47, and Josh Allen completed an 8-yard pass that would have brought up a third-and-short. Instead, Dawkins was called for a holding penalty that many fans couldn’t believe.
That's not a penalty pic.twitter.com/RVtUfuXSu4
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) January 20, 2025
“That is not a hold at all,” CBS announcer Tony Romo said on the telecast. “That’s a terrible call.”
Dawkins had used the snatch technique where he swatted at David Ojabo’s arms and knocked him off balance to the ground.
Former NFL linemen Geoff Schwartz and Ross Tucker were among those incensed over the call.
Not a holding. This is becoming a huge issue in the league. They have to stop calling these snatch technique holdings. They are not. Not close
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) January 20, 2025
That is NOT a hold!!!!
That’s a coaching tape!!!
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) January 20, 2025
The bad call hurt the Bills’ drive, and they ended up punting.
Seeing your team get called for a penalty like that after seeing the calls Patrick Mahomes got a day earlier was especially frustrating for Bills fans.
