Many had warned that the NFL’s new standards for roughing the passer would have a major impact on a result at some point this season, and the time may have come on Sunday.
With 1:45 left in regulation and the Green Bay Packers ahead of the Minnesota Vikings 29-21, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins appeared to throw an interception that would have effectively sealed the game. However, linebacker Clay Matthews was flagged for roughing the passer, and you can be the judge of this one.
Here's the play from the #Vikings game.
Clay Matthews for roughing the passer again to give the opponent new life on a game ending play.pic.twitter.com/GIaTrkC65O
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 16, 2018
The call gave the Vikings a first down and new life. Cousins promptly drove the team down the field and tied the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, sending the game to overtime when many Packers fans will likely argue it should have been over.
After an opening week of penalties that left fans with a bad taste in their mouths, calls like this are unlikely to help much. This storyline isn’t going away anytime soon.
