Monday Night Football turned into a flag-fest as referees called 22 penalties in the New York Jets’ 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills, tying for the season’s highest penalty count. With an astonishing 204 penalty yards between the teams, the game quickly became dominated by officiating decisions, sparking outrage from fans, analysts, and even players.
Social media erupted, with former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman calling the officiating “biased” and ESPN’s Mina Kimes simply tweeting “ENOUGH” in all caps. Barstool’s Big Cat accused the refs of making the game “about themselves,” while Joe Buck humorously remarked on air that referee Adrian Hill “might need his SAG card” due to his screen time. Even Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers voiced frustration, dubbing the calls “ridiculous” and referencing South Park’s satirical “Sarcastaball” in critique.
The controversy reached its peak during the Jets’ final drive, where a disputed fumble was called incomplete and three questionable flags were thrown. To add to the drama, both teams’ kickers struggled in gusty conditions, missing multiple attempts, marking a rare moment in NFL history where both teams had 10+ penalties and multiple missed kicks in a single game—a feat last seen in the 1987 NFL strike.
