The Chiefs did a very good job of containing the Lions’ pass rush in the NFL season opener. However, it appeared that they had a lot of help in doing so on the right side of the offensive line.
The team’s right tackle, Jawaan Taylor, was given a lot of leeway by the officials throughout the evening. John Hussey’s crew seemed reluctant to call him for false starts or illegal formations throughout the contest.
For most of the game, Taylor was trying to time his first step up with Patrick Mahomes’ snap count. He was able to succeed in doing so on certain occasions, but often, it seemed like he got a slightly early start.
No one is going to call False Start on #Chiefs Jawaan Taylor? it’s pretty blatant..pic.twitter.com/oSbGlo10tq
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2023
Taylor may have gained an advantage from that, but the bigger advantage may have come from where he was allowed to line up.
MORE: Lions shock Chiefs in season opener to spoil Kansas City’s banner ceremony
As noted by NBC’s rules analyst Terry McAulay, Taylor was supposed to at least have his helmet in line with the center’s belt line to be considered on the line of scrimmage. Instead, he was often “not remotely close” to where he needed to be.
NBC’s Terry McAulay on Chiefs’ RT Jawaan Taylor: “He’s really not remotely close, and it’s really putting the defensive end at a tremendous disadvantage when you can be that far back.”
Taylor appeared well behind the LOS and appeared to start early throughout the game. pic.twitter.com/2UrkTH8bTo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2023
Taylor’s technique — and the officials’ decision to let it slide — was noticed by many in the NFL world. That included former Texans and Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt, who commended the offensive tackles for taking advantage of it but later noted that it had gotten “a little bit egregious.”
Watch closely, many offensive tackles jump the snap count and leave just before the ball is actually snapped.
It’s a little thing, but makes a huge difference.
Refs generally let it slide.
As long as they don’t call it, I’d keep doing it too if I was them.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 8, 2023
Halftime of Opening Night.
Let’s talk about what everyone has been seeing.
(O-Linemen are gonna be all in my mentions here. Just know I don’t hate you for doing it! I would do the exact same damn thing if I was you and they weren’t calling it ) pic.twitter.com/K8Hn4HIaYn
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 8, 2023
Watt’s take was certainly fair, but others on social media — including NFL fans and media analysts — were a bit less forgiving. Below are some of their reactions to Taylor’s jumps throughout the night.
all of us watching jawaan taylor jump offsides every play pic.twitter.com/XFzODypAF0
— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) September 8, 2023
Jawaan Taylor is lining up half way to Arkansas and he still can barely contain the Lions edge rush pic.twitter.com/0L7lGC9tK7
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) September 8, 2023
Tonight’s script; Jawaan Taylor has diplomatic immunity.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 8, 2023
Eventually they have to call these false starts on Jawaan Taylor, right??
— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) September 8, 2023
The OL vs DL subtweets on my timeline right now about this Jawaan Taylor controversy are as violent as anything happening in the game right now
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) September 8, 2023
Need @PFF to add a grade on “false starts without drawing a flag” so Jawaan Taylor’s performance tonight can be properly memorialized.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) September 8, 2023
Taylor is in the backfield too. Jesus it’s an illegal formation. Someone say something
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) September 8, 2023
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Of course, there was one benefit to Taylor’s uncalled infractions for the Lions. They could somewhat tell based on where Taylor lined up whether the Chiefs were planning to run the ball or pass it. When he was further back, it was a pass play; if he was right on the line, it tended to be a running play.
That had a big impact on the game when the Chiefs opted to run the ball on a third-and-1 with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Detroit was able to stop it.
Josh Paschal was not fooled
: #Kickoff2023 on NBC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/EBLJ3Rwf5g pic.twitter.com/ztuUV4Kpqq— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2023
But Taylor was finally whistled for a false start when it mattered most. It occurred on a fourth-and-20 with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. That allowed the Lions, up one, to play a prevent defense and come up with a massive, game-winning stop.
It took 58 minutes, but Jawaan Taylor just finally got called for a penalty.
Collinworth: “Jawaan Taylor playing slot receiver.”pic.twitter.com/PbWziIfNxe
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 8, 2023
The @Lions take over after the incompletion!
: #Kickoff2023 on NBC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/EBLJ3Rwf5g pic.twitter.com/98JwMguwoa— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2023
The post J.J. Watt, NFL world blast officials for letting Chiefs’ Jawaan Taylor get away with apparent false starts vs. Lions appeared first on Crunchbase News Today.
