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The Week 11 Thursday Night Football game between the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles was all about defense. This means both teams tried really hard to stop each other from scoring. But sometimes, referees make mistakes, and that’s what happened in this game. They missed a big call that could have changed things.
In the third quarter, there was a moment when everyone thought a penalty should be called.
During the game, Washington’s linebacker Frankie Luvu appeared to commit a foul against Eagles’ wide receiver DeVonta Smith. The refs decided not to call it, which surprised many people watching, including Terry McAulay, an expert who knows a lot about football rules. Although Luvu didn’t grab Smith’s facemask directly, he still pulled him down by his helmet opening. That’s supposed to be a penalty!
Where is the flag for this on Eagles WR DeVonta Smith?
pic.twitter.com/S9go5jibbB— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) November 15, 2024
Eagles and their fans were left scratching their heads over the no-call. How did the officials miss what seemed so obvious to everyone else? It was a puzzling decision that could’ve hurt the Eagles’ chances in the game. Instead of getting a 15-yard penalty and a new set of downs, the Eagles had to keep playing from a tough spot.
But guess what? Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts didn’t let that stop him. He ran for a first down and kept the drive alive. The team eventually scored with a strong run by Saquon Barkley, taking control of the game.
In the end, the missed call didn’t cost the Eagles the game, as they won comfortably against the Commanders. Still, it’s important for referees to get these calls right because they can change the outcome of close games.
This kind of mistake is hard to accept, especially when a lot is at stake like winning the NFC East title. The NFL needs to ensure such errors don’t happen again.
Philadelphia went on to score 23 points without any reply from Washington, making sure they had a big lead.
