It’s never good for interest in a league when it seems like everyone is talking about officiating, and the NFL is struggling with the subject once again
The perfect illustration of the NFL wallowing in their own ratings decline could be seen as the Oakland Raiders set the league record for penalties on Sunday and still won. In what should have been the most exciting battle of the early-afternoon – a wild montage of huge catches, flying tackles and drama that trickled through nearly five quarters of football – America was treated to a endless blizzard of yellow flags.
The Raiders beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 when Seth Roberts caught a Derek Carr pass, slipped through two tackles and raced to the end zone with 1:45 left in overtime. His touchdown should have been the headline of the day, giving once-hapless Oakland their fifth road win and making them, at 6-2, legitimate contenders to win the AFC West. But instead the story is less about the big win and more about the penalties.
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Fan at Bills Game Threw Sex Toy onto the Field as Patriots Drove for Touchdown https://t.co/zHpduiButX pic.twitter.com/wz5nAga8D6
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