'Just let us play!': Tom Brady criticizes NFL officiating during game he wasn't playing in
- Tom Brady expressed frustration with NFL officials on Thursday night while watching the Jacksonville Jaguars-Tennessee Titans game.
- "Too many penalties. Just let us play!" Brady tweeted after the game featured 15 flags thrown in the first half alone.
- Brady was not alone in his critique of the officials.
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Tom Brady has had it with all of the penalties NFL officials are calling these days.
"Too many penalties. Just let us play!" Brady tweeted while apparently watching the Thursday night matchup between the Jaguars and Titans.
The two teams combined for 15 penalties in the first half, making the game a frustrating one to watch.
After a few more soft calls, Brady said he turned the game off.
Brady wasn't the only one to express frustration with the officiating in the game.
NFL officials are in a tough spot when it comes to such criticism. On one hand, fans just want to watch players make plays, so the frustration with all of the stops is understandable. That said, referees can't see a hold and just decide not to call it because there was already a holding penalty on the previous play.
Offensive holding has been a focus of officiating crews this season, and the results on the field are clear. According to ESPN, 178 holding flags have been called through two weeks of NFL action - an increase of 66% compared to last season.
There were plenty of egregious penalties throughout the game that left officials no choice but to throw the flag. But there were also some noticeably soft calls on which fans and players alike would have preferred the refs to swallow their whistles.
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