Last week, Clay Matthews was called for roughing the passer late against the Vikings that cost the Packers a win.
Do not hit quarterbacks high. Do not hit quarterbacks low. Do not hit them in the midriff. Roughing the passer on Clay Matthews. pic.twitter.com/pFyMnXxqxG
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) September 16, 2018
The NFL went on to double and triple down that the call was correct and wasn’t part of the league’s new “body weight” rule.
Via ESPN
A league source reiterated Monday that the “technique of grabbing the passer from behind the leg or legs, scooping and pulling in an upward motion, is a foul.”
Both Matthews’ penalty and the one earlier in the game on Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks fit into that category, according to the league. Those plays will be shared with teams by Al Riveron, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating, to “reiterate that this tactic is a foul.”
Riveron will remind clubs the penalty has been on the books for several years and is not considered part of the 2018 “point of emphasis” related to defensive players landing on the quarterback.
Today, Matthews was called for yet another roughing the passer penalty which led to a full on meltdown by coach Mike McCarthy who went after the refs on the field.
#Packers Clay Matthews now has 3 weeks in a row with roughing the passer called against him.pic.twitter.com/LSfPmHKMW3
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 23, 2018
No way this is roughing the passer. Terrible call. pic.twitter.com/WUqPoWqxMd
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) September 23, 2018
After the Clay Matthews' roughing the passer call for the 3rd week in a row.#Packers coach Mike McCarthy lost it and went after the ref [no contact though]pic.twitter.com/ENqhknk7JW
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 23, 2018
Packers fans were also unhappy with the call.
https://twitter.com/JustMe_Lo/status/1043947723764969472
I’ve seldom seen Mike McCarthy screaming at officials as he did protesting the penalty on Clay Matthews.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) September 23, 2018
Just saw the Clay Matthews sack. It was a textbook tackle – literally how every kid is taught to tackle. Yet @NFL called it "roughing the passer." It was a sack. #Packers #GBvsWAS
Shameful and embarrassing.— Ron Clements (@Ron_Clements) September 23, 2018
Clay Matthews can’t even sack nobody without em’ calling a flag on em with this new dumbass rule🚮
— bigUnc🖤 (@moddPF) September 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/lange_lance/status/1043947700176269313
https://twitter.com/R4M2012/status/1043947689677795328