Referees in Review

I know it is the first weekend of the football season, but every game counts in the NFL. You only get 16, and an extra loss can keep you out of the playoffs and an extra win might just cost you Adrian Peterson or Brady Quinn in the upcoming draft. So, the refs need to be at their best. Unfortunately, they weren't. In addition to the atrocious officiating I cited on opening night in the Steelers victory over the Dolphins, here are a few other things I noticed:

1. The unnecessary roughness penalty on Washington Redskin S Sean Taylor. Sean Taylor came across and made a legitimate hit to the shoulder of a WR along the sideline to prevent the receiver from making a play on a tipped ball. He didn't spear him in the head or do anything that warranted a penalty. But, he got 15 yards anyway.
2. Randy Moss received 15 yards for taunting when he tossed the ball to Charger K Nate Kaeding after he was forced out-of-bounds. Unnecessary, yes, but taunting? He didn't hand the ball to either of the guys he juked to pick up the first down on a simple swing pass into the flat. The flag was unnecessary.
3. Speaking of taunting, a 49er WR received a 15 yard penalty in the game against the Cardinals for pointing at a DB after the DB threw him down after they were already out-of-bounds. The WR wasn't taunting, he was merely acting like every other NFL WR who points at the defensive player if he thinks the player deserves a penalty. He was trying to help the ref out. Instead, he got nailed with the yellow flag.
4. And, in my personal favorite, Donovin Darius pulled a Rodney Harrison and hit Terrell Owens well after the play was over. Darius was 5 yards away from Owens when he hit the ground. Owens rolled, Darius took another step then dove and put his shoulder right in Owens' back. I don't think it hurt Owens, but that isn't the point. There is no need to hit someone when they are down. If you want to hit TO, tackle him when he's piling up YAC. Dallas S Roy Williams likes to hit people, but I saw him make a conscious effort to avoid hitting a ball carrier who was already on the ground, even though he could have got a shot in and not been penalized. I feel strongly that Darius wanted to hit TO and he should have been penalized for it.

The list could go on and on, but I don't feel like piling on the officials too much this early in the season. Maybe I'll keep better notes next week and have a longer list.