Notorious NFL officiating crew misses penalty on Texans QB C.J. Stoud's injury
Ahead of the Houston Texans and New York Jets matchup, it was reported that the officiating crew in charge, led by Brad Allen, was already under fire. And then that same crew, which cost the Kansas City Chiefs against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints against the Atlanta Falcons, missed a late hit […]
Ahead of the Houston Texans and New York Jets matchup, it was reported that the officiating crew in charge, led by Brad Allen, was already under fire.
And then that same crew, which cost the Kansas City Chiefs against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints against the Atlanta Falcons, missed a late hit on rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who left Sunday's game due to a head injury.
With six minutes left in the game, Stroud dropped back to pass when the Jets' pass rush coalesced around him. He got the ball off, but the hit still came. The result was his helmet slamming against the turf, and the rookie sensation — who was already having a difficult day at the office – left the game with a concussion.
Here is a look at the play:
The 'notorious' officiating crew
It is clear that the hit on Stroud, in slow motion, looks late. The quarterback got the ball off, but the momentum of the pass rush still ended in him being hit.
Lesser hits have been called in the NFL before. But Brad Allen and his notorious officiating crew have built a reputation for missing critical calls in rather monumental moments.
Coming into the game, it was reported that Allen and his crew were under the watchful eye of the league for the continued mistakes that date back to Nov. 16.
In that key NFC South matchup, Allen's crew missed a critical pass interference call in the second quarter.
The Saints were furious with the missed call, and it was a play that proved influential because New Orleans had to settle for a field goal when the team was picking up momentum. Ultimately, the Saints lost 24-15.
And then, it happened again for Allen and his crew.
With Kansas City looking to rally against Green Bay, the refs refused to call a pass interference late in the game, and the Chiefs lost.
Those were simply game outcomes — still important. But in a league defined by players, missing a call that a player was injured on is unacceptable.
With Stroud being the NFL's boy wonder, if the league office rules that Allen's crew missed a late hit on the eventual Rookie of the Year that led to him being injured, it may spell bad fortune for an already disgruntled group.
As for the Texans, who went on to lose to the Jets, 30-6, the only consolation would be a quick recovery for an offense built around Stroud's strengths.
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