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In recent years, the NFL has adopted new rules in the interest of player safety. We’ve seen those rules play out when it comes to penalties for passer, and last year NFL owners went one step further and voted to remove blockades on the blind side.
In Sunday’s game between the Cardinals and the Patriots, however, Bill Belichick has a legitimate issue with the way the umpiring team applied the new rule.
In the second period, Patriots wide receiver Gunner Olszewski had what looked like an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown. And he got some help late in the return via a block from Anfernee Jennings. This block ended up being considered a blind block. Yeah, this block:
The rule considers it to be a block on the blind side when a player “initiates a block when moving to or parallel to his own backline and making contact with his opponent with his helmet, his forearm or shoulder ”. Jennings actually seemed to agree with Zeke Turner.
The Patriots ended up settling for a basket on the field, and during the televised time-out, Belichick approached the officials with receipts (!!!). He took out still photos of the OR, showing Jennings was in legal position.
We got to see Belichick talking to the officials and showing them photos of what appeared to be this:
Not that it was going to change the appeal, but you just knew Belichick was going to try. Classic Belichick.
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