This football weekend has treated fans to some rarely-seen penalties.
One such penalty came from the slate of college games on Saturday. In the tilt between Georgia and Vanderbilt the Bulldogs offense ran a designed running play for tight end Brock Bowers. Not only was the talented TE injured on the play, but quarterback Carson Beck, who was one of his lead blockers on the play, was flagged for a holding penalty.
Then on Sunday between the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers, we saw a personal foul penalty for a headbutt after a play. That might not be a rare event, but the player flagged for it certainly is.
Because it was Panthers punter Johnny Hekker:
There are a few incredible things about this moment. First, Hekker is listed at 6’5 225. The Dolphins player he is jawing with? That is Miami linebacker Cameron Goode, listed at 6’3 245. So this is not your ordinary “punter versus linebacker” matchup, as Hekker has the height advantage.
Then there is the dive. We can be honest, Goode is not in an enviable position here. If he jaws back at Hekker, or worse yet takes a shot of his own, he is forever the “linebacker who picked on a punter.” So not escalating things is probably the right move.
But the dive? That might make for some laughs during Monday’s film review. After all, you just took a dive after a headbutt from a punter.
Also, there’s Hekker’s gesture after the headbutt, the whole “hand up I didn’t mean anything” move.
Finally, the image of the official tumbling to the turf as well makes for some comedy.
Here’s another angle of the incident, and you can see that Goode throws a block on the punter just at — or after — the whistle which Hekker takes exception to:
Cannot wait for the next strange penalty we see this weekend. My money is on an offensive pass interference penalty on Mac Jones.
