Perhaps the most controversial calls in the NFL come each week on roughing the passer fouls. And star defenders Cam Jordan and Von Miller took exception to one recent call in particular.
The call discussed by Miller and Jordan came on Sunday in the matchups between the New England Patriots and the Washington Commanders.
Commanders rookie edge rusher KJ Henry appeared to record his first career sack and his first career forced fumble of Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.
However, Henry was called for roughing the passer on the play, negating the historic moment for the Commanders’ rookie.
This was flagged for roughing the passer pic.twitter.com/T7d76u5vgJ
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) November 5, 2023
It sure looked like a pretty standard sack that should have been a historic moment for the rookie. And Miller and Jordan recently discussed the call, apologizing to Henry after his moment was unfortunately taken away from him.
“The way that the refs are calling the roughing the passer call, it’s crazy man,” said Miller on The Voncast via Bleacher Report. “The Commanders versus the Patriots right here. I mean, what else can you do right here?”
Von Miller and Cam Jordan respond to recent roughing the passer calls
(via The Voncast) pic.twitter.com/Ukd91I4S7U
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 8, 2023
Cam Jordan then weighed in on the play, stating that Henry “did all the right things” on the sack.
“For you to take this sack away from him. I think this was his first sack of the year. He’s a young kid. He gets a sack and does the right things. He doesn’t bomb the quarterback. For defense, it feels like you have 14 people against you. 11 on offense, and two or three refs that are out to get you.”
Adrian Hill, the referee who made the roughing call on the Commanders, justified the call recently by stating that Henry came down with his full body weight.
But as a defender, how are you supposed to stop your full weight from coming down on the quarterback in that situation?
Most fans certainly agree with Cam Jordan’s sentiment that the referees are out to get defenders trying to make a play on the quarterback.
Simply put, it is harder than ever to play defense in the NFL nowadays. And the way refs are calling roughing the passer is certainly a big reason why.
