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THE GRIDIRON — Nothing kills the momentum of a football game like when the refs start throwing penalty flags. But have you ever seen one of these flags literally obstruct the momentum of a football?
The Jacksonville Jaguars were hosting the Arizona Cardinals when the fluky play occurred. After going three-and-out on their first offensive series, the Jaguars punted to the visitors. Punt returner Rondale Moore was waiting for the kick when one of his teammates committed an illegal block.
Rondale Moore muffed that 1st punt because the Ref nailed the football with the Penalty Flag on the way down. pic.twitter.com/u5D2bXYR2o
— Matt Abbott (@MattAbb0tt) September 26, 2021
Illegal blocks happen all the time. Sometimes they're spotted by the referees and a team is penalized, while many go unnoticed. In this case, a referee saw the infraction and threw his yellow flag in the air to signify an upcoming punishment. Rather than falling harmlessly to the ground, the flag actually hit the ball, causing it to drop at an unpredictable angle.
What are the odds? It's seriously crazy to see the flag hit the ball like that. It's reminiscent of when Randy Johnson hit a bird with a pitch back in 2001.
Moore missed the catch due to the ref and his sniper-like flag, but his team was able to recover the fumble. And the Cardinals ultimately won the game, so this ended up being a case of "no harm but still a foul."
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