Allow me to share my thoughts on the Delay of Game penalty. As you know, the infraction is called when the play clock hits 00 and the offence has yet to snap the football.
However, the way it is enforced is such that if the official is looking at the play clock and sees it hit 00, we must wait for their eyes to revert back to the line of scrimmage to see if the offensive team got the snap off in time.
Now, I am led to believe that the play clock we see on the TV screen is in sync with the in-stadium play clock. To that end, there are many times when I will watch the play clock hit 00 and maybe another second, or second and a half will go by before an official blows their whistle. Or, the whistle is never blown and the offence gets away with it.
I don’t like it. I don’t like that the clock expires, but there is a small window for the play to still get off. Simply put, it’s not fair.
What’s the solution? I don’t know. A loud buzzer, like when the shot clock expires in basketball? Granted, NFL stadiums have three times as many fans as a basketball arena, so it could be hard to hear.
I don’t know. You’re the cream of the crop of football. You can figure it out.
Or maybe I’m making a big deal out of it and we just have to live with it.
Bottom line: The play clock is 40 seconds. Not 41, not 41.5, not 42. Call a penalty at the exact moment the clock hits 00, so it’s consistent for everyone.
A weird thing to be frustrated about, I know. Anyway, here are my Week 9 snapshots.
Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
The Arizona Cardinals will be featured on an in-season version of Hard Knocks, debuting tonight. To promote it, they released a video clip of Budda Baker giving a passionate speech in the locker room, in which he says he’s tired of losing.
Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
Kyle Pitts has more than three receptions in only two games this season. He should have the ball in his hands at least 6 times per game.
Buffalo Bills (6-2)
The Bills lost to the Jets and Josh Allen suffered an elbow injury. We don’t know if he’ll miss any games yet, but it was not a positive weekend for Buffalo.
Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
As long as Lamar Jackson is playing, it seems like it doesn’t matter how many of his offensive weapons are injured. That’s a scary thing.
Carolina Panthers (2-7)
The Panthers went back to Baker Mayfield at quarterback, after halftime against the Bengals, and he did well.
Cincinatti Bengals (5-4)
Joe Mixon scored five touchdowns against the Panthers.
Cleveland Browns (3-5)
The Browns face the Dolphins and Bills over the next two weeks. If they lose both games, their season is over. So, no pressure.
Chicago Bears (3-6)
Justin Fields rushed for 178 yards – the most by any quarterback in a regular season game.
Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
The Cowboys head to Green Bay to face a Packers team that has lost five in a row.
Denver Broncos (3-5)
The Broncos can’t come out of the Bye week looking like the same team they were in the first half of the season. They just can’t.
Detroit Lions (2-6)
D’Andre Swift said before the season that his goal was to accumulate 1000 rushing yards and 1000 receiving yards. He’s good enough to do it, but injuries have held him back. In the future, I hope he can make a run at those numbers.
Green Bay Packers (3-6)
The fact that we won’t get a playoff game at Lambeau Field this year is a bit disappointing to me. Mainly because there’s always a chance of it being a snow game.
Houston Texans (1-6-1)
There’s always next year.
Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1)
Jeff Saturday is the new interim head coach of the Colts. This is nothing against Saturday, or his football knowledge, but it just feels like a slap in the face to the coaches already on staff who have been there all season.
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
If the Jaguars want to play spoiler to playoff-bound teams down the stretch, I will support it.
Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
Patrick Mahomes threw the ball 68 times against the Titans. The Chiefs scored 20 points and won. On some level, that is a bit of a win for the Titans as well, right?
Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
The Raiders have three losses this season after leading by at least 17 points.
Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
The Chargers have back-to-back Sunday night games upcoming, with the 49ers this week and the Chiefs next week. I will never get tired of seeing Justin Herbert play in primetime games.
Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
I don’t think Odell Beckham Jr. is going to sign with the Rams. He’s going to go to a team that is more likely to be in the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins (6-3)
Jaylen Waddle’s penguin dance after he scores a touchdown will never get old. Also, Tyreek Hill is unstoppable. Tua is legit. And Jeff Wilson is a great addition.
Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
The Vikings have an opportunity to make a statement when they travel to Orchard Park to take on the Bills this weekend.
New England Patriots (5-4)
Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense made a rookie quarterback look silly. It’s what they do.
New Orleans Saints (3-6)
Is it too early to predict that the Saints will draft a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft? What’s that? They traded their first round pick to the Eagles? Oh boy.
New York Giants (6-2)
I’ve played out the rest of the Giants schedule in my head and have concluded that they will finish the season with an 11-6 record.
New York Jets (6-3)
The Jets have a very good defense, which is what they probably hoped for when they hired Robert Saleh as head coach in 2021.
Philadelphia Eagles (8-0)
Only four teams have scored more points than the Eagles this season, and yet I still think their offence can be even better than its been. DeVonta Smith’s potential has yet to be fully unlocked.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
With Chase Claypool now on the Bears, it’ll be interesting to see how his targets get divvied up in the Steelers offence.
San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
I look at this team and think their motto should be simple: “Now, we go.”
Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
While it might be fun to celebrate a 6-3 record and being atop the division, there is a lot of football left to play. A sports pet peeve of mine is when teams celebrate too soon, only to lose in the end. Don’t celebrate too soon, Seattle. Stay focused. Keep going.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
The Buccaneers are facing the Seahawks in Munich, Germany on Sunday. I could be wrong, but I think when you combine last week’s comeback win against the Rams, with having an entire stadium in Germany cheer for Tom Brady (I’m assuming), the Buccaneers are going to ride the wave of momentum and start feeling good about themselves.
Tennessee Titans (5-3)
The Titans defence is really good, and will keep them in games, but they aren’t going anywhere this year without a healthy Ryan Tannehill at quarterback.
Washington Commanders (4-5)
“Carson Wentz revenge game against the Eagles on Monday Night Football”. That’ll be what some analysts will say.
How is your team doing halfway through the season? What are your thoughts on the Delay of Game penalty?
The Captain's Speech 
Paul, I couldn’t agree more on the challenges you outlined with the delay of game penalty. As soon as the NFL figures out what pass interference is, and that offensive players are committing it as much as defensive players, I am sure they’ll start working on fixing the delay of the game enforcement. (yes, this is sarcasm…) Go Eagles!
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I think a lot of the missed calls sometimes have to do with the referees vantage point of the play. Although there are some where pass interference is so obvious but still not called. In those instances, I just assume that all the referees thought someone else was going to throw their flag so they didn’t bother. But then no one threw a flag. And whoops, 5 seconds have passed, can’t really throw it now…
Ideally, we’d hook the referees up to a wire and have them hover above the field like the Sky Cam.
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I will have that image in my head during this weekend’s games…🤣
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I have so many issues with NFL officiating I can’t get into it all here. I’ll mention some of them in my own post. So yeah, I agree with you 100% on the delay of game thing. It’s weird and not right. It’s inconsistent. I don’t have all the answers, but I have some ideas. Have a referee line up with the Center and the play clock so that he doesn’t have to turn his head. The second it hits zero, then blow the darn whistle. It shouldn’t be too hard. It should never be a full second delay. But of course it is, and you pointed out. It’s not fair and ridiculous.
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The solution you just explained is exactly what I thought the referees should be doing by default but I guess they don’t. I remember a recent game, the offence lined up to try and draw the defence offside as the quarter was ending. Of course they didn’t snap the ball, the clock expired….and no one blew a whistle. The QB had to turn around to tell the referee the quarter ended. Just mind boggling stuff.
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Ooh, I’ll take a 11-6 record for the Giants!
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Anything can still happen but I think it’s safe to start planning the playoff snack situation.
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