Two weeks ago, Vic Fangio praised the officials working the Eagles-Panthers game for not calling a personal foul on C.J. Gardner-Johnson after a vicious – but clean – hit on Xavier Legette.
“That was a big hit that was 100 percent legal,” Fangio said. “Kudos to the officiating to not fall to a big hit and just automatically throw a flag.
“I know this is a few years ago, but when I was at San Francisco, we had a couple of big-hitting safeties, and they got flagged like six or seven times for wrong hits, unnecessary roughness. And every one of them came back (from the league) as bad calls. So I think the officiating has improved in that area.”
Fangio might want to amend that comment.
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On Sunday, another big-hitting safety – Reed Blankenship – was flagged for a personal foul after a perfectly clean and legal hit on Steelers quarterback Justin Fields after an eight-yard run during the second quarter (on the only snap Fields played in the game).
Fields went into a slide after Blankenship had moved to tackle him, and in a bang-bang play like that there was no way for the Eagles’ 3rd-year safety to avoid Fields.
That 15-yard penalty gave the Steelers a first down on the Eagles’ 30-yard-line on their only touchdown drive in a game the Eagles wound up winning 27-13. It was actually the Steelers’ 3rd-longest play of the game.
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Fangio never hesitates to speak his mind, and on Tuesday he made it clear what he thought of the call.
“I didn't think that was a good call,” he said. “It was a very late slide. I didn't see vicious contact. You know, I just didn't see that. But, again, it's up to the officials on the field.”
That was only Blankenship’s second penalty this year and just the fifth of his career. As a rookie he was called for roughing the kicker on Tress Way in the second Washington game and an unnecessary roughness on Christian Watson after replacing Gardner-Johnson against the Packers. His only other career penalties were a horse collar tackle against Puka Nacua in the win over the Rams last year and a pass interference on Mike Evans in the loss to the Bucs.
That’s five penalties in 2,164 career snaps.
Fangio is convinced it should be four.
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