The Eagles were called for a rarely seen defensive delay of game penalty

In a Week 7 game, the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive linemen made a coordinated leg shift and duped a 49ers offensive lineman into a false start on a field-goal attempt.

As a result, San Francisco was pushed out of field-goal range and was forced to punt.

On Sunday, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham apparently tried to dupe the Steelers into a false start on a short field-goal attempt. That drew a flag and this call from referee Clete Blakeman: “Delay of game, defense No. 55, for making a move that is not necessary and unlike football.”

Huh?

That’s what fans were saying after Blakeman’s “explanation.” And, to be honest, it didn’t seem like Blakeman knew how to define that call.

CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo said the penalty was for trying to make the offensive linemen jump. And the Eagles’ sideline reporter agreed, apparently calling it a “non-football” move that wasn’t allowed.

Football Zebras, a website dedicated to officiating, also said Graham flinched.

Story continues

“The officiating department has discussed this with officials this year, according to sources familiar with the contents of those training videos,” Football Zebras wrote. “A defensive player can rock in their stance and make shifts that are not simulating the snap. Those are common to the game. What is discussed is to watch for gestures and actions that are not common to the game: flinches, abrupt rising from a stance, coordinating a movement that is not an obvious shift, etc.

“Is this a case of the officiating department looking for a nail to hit with their hammer? Actually, the officiating department usually is tipped by teams flagging certain plays. These are not new rules, but as teams start to exploit the rules with regularity, it becomes an emphasis.”

After the penalty, the Steelers brought the offense back on the field and scored a touchdown. But the Eagles still rolled to a 35-13 victory.

Source