Monday night’s marquee matchup between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills came with quite a healthy serving of flags. Fans weren’t exactly happy about it.
The Bills beat the Jets 23-20 in a topsy-turvy “Monday Night Football” contest at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The game featured several amazing plays, including another vintage Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary for a touchdown just before halftime. Kickers from both sides also added to the drama with several botched kicks in the contest.
But all the football action on Monday felt like the side dish to the game’s true main course: penalties. The Bills and Jets gave up a whopping 204 yards on 22 combined penalties.
To fans and media members on X, it felt like there was a flag thrown on every other play.
Happy the Refs have made tonight about themselves
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) October 15, 2024
The refs show
Every play is a flag
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 15, 2024
tonight feels like we're watching the refs call a makeup call after a bad call after a makeup call after a bad call after a makeup call after a bad call after a makeup call after a bad call after a makeup call after a bad call after a makeup call
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 15, 2024
The flag throwing virus in the NFL is out of control. And to make it worse tonight, these refs are in conference mode after every play to figure out why they’re even throwing the flags.
— Bryan Hayes (@HayesTSN) October 15, 2024
Even the fans in the stadium grew antsy over all the penalties and replay reviews.
Fans loudly booing refs and the Jumbotron operator pulled out Judge Judy pic.twitter.com/6De5VRIcHW
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) October 15, 2024
Some Jets and Bills fans resorted to memes to try to make light of the situation.
The refs after literally every play during Jets-Bills pic.twitter.com/ZRKunu3BIb
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) October 15, 2024
MNF refs throwing flags tonight: pic.twitter.com/FF9QCdlKhq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 15, 2024
The refs as soon as the Jets are about to lose pic.twitter.com/Ut9f4rahsn
— Paulos (@LoswitheMos) October 15, 2024
The penalty situation only got worse as the game progressed. 10 of the game’s 22 penalties were called during the fourth quarter. There was even the rare penalty called during the break between the third and fourth quarters.
This is insane.
A penalty was called on Dion Dawkins between the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth quarter. Dawkins was getting into it with multiple Jets players.
Officials have cost the Bills significantly in this game.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) October 15, 2024
The Bills won Monday’s referee-dominated battle to snap their two-game losing streak.
On the other hand, the Jets’ post-Robert Saleh era did not get off to an ideal start.
