For whatever reason, the Packers could do very little in the first quarter of their Sunday matchup against the Jaguars, owners of the NFL’s worst defense, per Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics. Aaron Rodgers took that sad song and made it better with just 13 seconds elapsed in the second quarter, though, on this 78-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Nice play design and all, but as Ms. Fitzpatrick (an outstanding football analyst whose work you should be reading) points out, the Packers had an extra blocker downfield.
Refs totally blew this for the Jags pic.twitter.com/UkSaki0S0G
— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) November 15, 2020
That would be back judge Dino Paganelli, part of referee Shawn Smith’s crew on the day. Downfield, you can see safety Jarrod Wilson not only trying to catch up with Valdes-Scantling, but having to deal with the specter of Paganelli getting in the way. It looks as if Paganelli tried to be the Jaguars’ middle-hole defender in some misbegotten form of Tampa-2 coverage, and he then decided to switch teams as the ball came out of Rodgers’ hands.
Paganelli has been a Super Bowl official in the past, as have his brothers Perry and Carl. So, there’s a lot of good work in the family over time, but this play is one that Paganelli will want to forget.
