Third quarter...down but not out. Tyrod throws 25 yard pass to Clay for 1st down. At end of the play Kelvin Benjamin is called for holding (which, importantly is a spot foul meaning the penalty of ten yards is assessed from the point of the foul). Bills will STILL HAVE A FIRST DOWN EVEN WITH THE PENALTY!!! In addition the Saints are hit with a personal foul penalty which is a 15 yarder and automatic first down. Referees IMMEDIATLY rule offsetting penalties and replay down. WTF???? How can that possibly be? Had the Saints not taken a 15 yard personal foul penalty the Bills would have had a 15 yard game and a first down. There is no way that the Saints 15 yard personal foul for roughing the passer should BENEFIT THEM.
WHAT DID THE BILLS COACHES DO? Not a frigging thing. Had they been thinking they could have merely declined the Saints penalty and kept the first down and 15 yard gain. I actually think the ref’s blew the call and that the Bills should have had the 15 yard gain plus the 15 yard penalty. Either way the coaches never even thought twice about it. They never questioned the call. No argument and no first down. Next play there is an interception and the game was over.
Coaches who make millions of dollars per year are paid to know the rules and make these kind of decisions. Instead we have a group that gets too caught up in the game and can’t see the trees through the forest. Brutal!!!
