NFL apologizes to NY Jets after blatant missed call in Week 2

The NY Jets were the victims of a blatantly incorrect roughing the passer penalty call on defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers in Sunday's 30-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

It was a penalty that came at a crucial point in the game and ultimately allowed the Cowboys to extend a drive deep in Jets territory and eventually score a touchdown. Three days later, the NFL has issued an apology to Franklin-Myers and the Jets.

Brian Costello of the New York Post reported on Wednesday that the NFL had told the Jets that the penalty should not have been called. It was a legal hit. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that the penalty was called and that it changed the entire trajectory of the game.

The penalty occurred on a key 3rd-and-7 situation late in the first half with the Jets trailing 10-7. The Jets got the defensive stop, but the penalty allowed the Cowboys to extend the drive.

One Brandin Echols defensive pass interference call later, and the Cowboys were able to capitalize and score a touchdown. The Jets were also penalized for another roughing the passer penalty on Dallas' touchdown, a questionable call on defensive end Micheal Clemons, resulting in Dallas attempting and converting a two-point try.

That's a potential eight-point swing (five points, if you want to account for a field goal) in a game that was very close at the time. Instead of trailing by what likely would have been a score of 13-7, the Jets were now down 18-7. It wouldn't take long for the game to snowball in the second half.

The NFL continues to haunt the NY Jets with roughing the passer penalties

The Jets stunningly haven't been the beneficiaries of a roughing the passer penalty since December 19, 2021. That's almost two years. The Jets were the only team that didn't have a roughing the passer penalty called against an opponent in 2022.

Since 2018, the Jets have been penalized a whopping 38 times for roughing the passer, while their opponents have only been penalized 15 times for the same call. That's not normal. Something is wrong here.

NFL officials tend to be biased in favor of prominent quarterbacks, at least when it comes to rules that protect the QB. That likely, at least partially, explains this ridiculous disparity.

Still, this isn't acceptable. It's a real problem, and it's one that continues to affect the Jets on a yearly basis. Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke about it on Wednesday as well, insisting that he was in contact with the league's office about the penalty against Franklin-Myers.

The NFL may have issued an apology, but in the immortal words of OneRepublic, it's too late to apologize. It's too late.