The Green Bay Packers enjoyed their bye in Week 5 and that assumes they were in a place where the referees couldn’t hurt them. But even as they took in all of the action from home, they still found a way to stew over a case where they had been done wrong by the officials.
The play came during the Tennessee Titans’ matchup with the Arizona Cardinals as center Lloyd Cushenberry III lined up for a snap. Before the play, Cushenberry moved the ball slightly forward and tipped it at an angle so it would be easier to snap, allowing the play to go off without a hitch and everyone to move on with their afternoon.
But what appeared to be a simple play was a penalty during the Packers' Week 4 tie with the Dallas Cowboys and may raise even more questions when the Packers return to play on Sunday.
Packers Fans Have a Right to Be Frustrated After Elgton Jenkins False Start vs. Cowboys
The Packers' version of this play came as Green Bay was driving to the goal line in the third quarter of a Week 4 game against the Cowboys. Center Elgton Jenkins tipped the ball forward before the play but was called for a false start, backing the Packers up for a 1st-and-goal from the five-yard line.
The penalty didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things as Josh Jacobs scored on a one-yard touchdown run three plays later. But the biggest thing is consistency, as Cushenberry did the exact same thing Jenkins did without drawing a flag. Going up against “America’s Team” certainly didn’t do anything to quiet the conspiracy theory, and complaining about calls is as much of a tradition as Miller Lite at a Lambeau Field tailgate.
Then again, the Packers haven’t done themselves any favors in the penalty department. Entering the final game of the Week 5 slate on Monday night, the Packers are tied for the second-most penalties per game (8.8) this season, trailing only the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have averaged 9.5 flags per game. Penalties were also an issue in the Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, where the Packers were flagged a whopping 14 times for 75 yards.
With Green Bay having its own issues, it would be nice if the officials cleaned up their game as well. But instances like Sunday will continue to draw the attention of Packers fans until it’s ironed out.