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The Philadelphia Eagles entered Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders looking to snap a five-game losing streak. However, the Commanders had other plans, handing Philadelphia a 27-10 loss to improve to 2-4-1, while the Eagles now sit at 2-6.
The game was not without controversy, though, as an officiating incident involving Washington and Philadelphia became a major talking point after a roughing the passer penalty wiped out what appeared to be a crucial interception.
The decision caught the attention of former Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert and many fans, who didn’t hold back in voicing their frustration with the league’s officiating.
Washington appeared to have secured a crucial interception when Trey Amos picked off Tanner McKee’s pass late in the third quarter. However, officials flagged Commanders’ K’Lavon Chaisson for roughing the passer because his arm made contact with McKee’s head as the quarterback released the football.
The penalty wiped out the interception and allowed Philadelphia to retain possession. Instead of Washington taking over after a turnover, the Eagles continued their drive.
The incident served as another example of how a roughing the passer decision can dramatically change a defensive outcome. Though Washington won the game, the decision triggered Benkert to rant on X.
“The NFL needs to change roughing the passer calls. The rules are getting laughable at this point. Weak call takes an INT off the board for the Commanders. I’ve seen Jordan Love take 100x worse and not get called all year,” Benkert tweeted.
Many fans also shared their frustration with the decision.
“That was the softest I’ve seen,” a fan remarked.
“Penalty flags are thrown too often, the rules are confusing, and the officiating week-to-week isn’t consistent. There needs to be a complete overhaul of what the NFL is doing with the referees. There needs to be a better system and hierarchy for getting the big calls right,” another wrote.
Chaisson finished the game with four total tackles and one sack. He also currently sits at No. 20 in the PFN EDGE Impact Metric with an 81.1 grade.
“Make it reviewable. It’s about giving the refs subjective ability to make a call if they feel the game is not going the way Vegas or the NFL wants it to go,” one fan added.
“I think what they need to do is leave the blatant roughing the passer 15-yard penalty for egregious acts that could harm the QB. But they need to come up with a 5-yard penalty for all the ticky-tack (expletive) that they’ve lumped into the roughing the passer rule,” read another suggestion from a fan.
Washington is still trying to keep its season alive after a difficult start. The Commanders managed just one win through their first six games but remain within reach in a relatively weak NFC East division.
Washington will now turn its attention to its upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9.