After Further Review: Jets-Dolphins Officiating
By popular demand, we're again going to have a post after each game that breaks down some of the controversial decisions from the officiating crew in the game.
Penalty Count
Dolphins 3-20 (leading to no Jets first downs)
Jets 6-74 (leading to three Dolphins first downs)
Plays where the call was obvious, uncontroversial or not visible on broadcast footage
Jets Penalties
- Ryan Griffin holding penalty. This was an obvious call as Andrew Van Ginkel pressured off the edge. The bigger question is why you'd have Griffin protecting the blindside when Mekhi Becton does such a good job of that.
- Marcus Maye illegal contact. Pulled his man to the ground as he ran down the seam.
- Conor McDermott holding. This is a common call where McDermott tried to keep his man engaged on the rush but as soon as Sam Darnold escaped the pocket that's seen as preventing his man from moving laterally.
- Bryce Hall defensive pass interference. He had a physical battle with DeVante Parker all day but there was no doubt on this call as Hall never looked back for the ball and made contact before its arrival.
Dolphins Penalties
- False start on Robert Hunt
- 12-men on the field. They broke the huddle with 12 men. Penalties warranting further discussion or explanation
Jets Penalties
Chris Herndon illegal block in the back on a kickoff. Maybe his call was fair but it looked like more of a complete olé than a shove in the back. Saying he blocked the guy in the back is almost giving him too much credit.
Denzel Mims offensive pass interference. This seemed like a rough call as Mims reached over the cornerback to try and make a contested catch and did not shove or pull down on the defender to prevent him from doing so. While the official was correct not to flag the defensive back because he had good position and is entitled to that even though he didn't look back for the ball, this seemed unduly harsh on Mims, given the physicality Parker was displaying.
Arthur Maulet pass interference deep downfield. This seemed unfair because Maulet barely touched the receiver but he never looked back for the ball and the contact was before the ball arrived and could be deemed to have affected the receiver's efforts to make a play on it. Easy play for Maulet if he just got his head turned.
Dolphins Penalties
Ereck Flowers holding on Neville Hewitt. This one might have been harsh. Flowers did let his hands slip to the outside, but Hewitt span off the block and Flowers made no obvious grab to prevent him from doing so.
Notable no-calls
With such a low penalty count, there were plenty of possible missed calls and players on both teams asking for flags.
DeVante Parker was already mentioned and he perhaps should have been called for a couple of offensive pass interference penalties, especially in light of the one called on Mims.
Miami also got away with a few holds and a block in the back and Jamison Crowder felt he was interfered with twice, including on Darnold's first interception.
The replay booth inexplicably upheld a Parker catch although the replays seemed to clearly show that he hadn't completed the catch when Javelin Guidry knocked the ball out. Later on they reviewed and correctly upheld the spot on a Darnold first down scramble.
Finally, Ryan Fitzpatrick fumbled on a Neville Hewitt sack, although Miami recovered. That one looked like it was possible he still had control of the ball with his arm coming forwards but Miami opted not to challenge because it would simply have changed the next play from 4th-and-16 to 4th-and-10 so Hewitt still gets credit for the strip sack.
Let us know what we missed - or misinterpreted - in the comments...