Two problems the NFL has yet to fix robbed the Vikings of touchdowns in their 34-28 loss to the Eagles Thursday night.
The first, Justin Jefferson fumbling the ball out of the end zone, is hard to actually argue because that’s the rule. Fumble it out of the end zone and it’s a touchback and a turnover. We can argue that it’s a dumb rule, but it’s the rule.
But the more glaring issue from the game was Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson clearly false-starting on the play that ended with Jalen Hurts connecting with Devonta Smith for a 63-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a 27-7 lead in the third quarter. On the replay, Johnson clearly moves before center Jason Kelce snaps the ball. By definition, that’s a false start.
DeVonta Smith TORCHED EM
pic.twitter.com/UeHA0YA1Sm— PFF (@PFF) September 15, 2023
It’s the same issue that Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor got away with during the NFL opener last Thursday against the Lions. Look what Pro Football Talks’s Mike Florio wrote less than 12 hours before the Vikings and Eagles kicked off Thursday.
“Last Thursday night, the officials made a mockery of the pre-snap rules by repeatedly letting Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor: (1) line up in the backfield; (2) move his right leg when he was supposed to be still; and (3) start into his pass-block set early.”
That’s exactly what Johnson does on a regular basis. People have been writing/complaining about it for years but the NFL hasn’t done anything to stop it. Florio believes the NFL doesn’t want to penalize those blatant false starts because it gives the offensive tackles an edge and therefore helps keep quarterbacks healthy.
— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) September 8, 2023
Make no mistake. Johnson moved before the ball was snapped and the touchdown put the Vikings in a 20-point hole.
Minnesota tried to climb out of it but the four turnovers in the first 31 minutes of the game, coupled with a free touchdown, were too much to overcome.
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