It’s still only preseason, but it’s safe to say nobody is entirely sure what is a penalty and what isn’t in the NFL anymore.
During the fourth quarter of Saturday’s preseason game, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Antwione Williams appeared to deliver a routine sack to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Cody Kessler. Imagine the surprise, then, when Williams was flagged for a personal foul for roughing the passer on this play.
Roughing the passer!! Welcome to 2018. pic.twitter.com/oIIrVplQAO
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) August 18, 2018
Everything about this looks like a clean football play, but referee Shawn Hochuli — son of Ed — determined that Williams was guilty of “landing with his body weight.”
It’s worth noting that it’s still preseason and Hochuli is a rookie referee, but if these sorts of calls carry over into the regular season, we’re going to see a lot of confused players and fans. The new helmet rule is already going to be confusing and controversial enough without this sort of thing happening.
