For the third time in three games, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews was penalized for roughing the passer. For the second week in a row, the play drawing the flag has become a flashpoint for NFL players, coaches, fans, and referees regarding the league’s rules around protecting quarterbacks.
In week two’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Matthews was called for roughing the passer when he hit quarterback Kirk Cousins. Referee Tony Corrente said that he threw a flag for an illegal “scoop-and-pull” technique, for which he also penalized Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks earlier in that game.