Yesterday marked one of the biggest nights of 2023 with the first game of the NFL regular season. The reigning Super Bowl champion and the Detroit Lions faced off in their season openers. However, soon after the game finished with the Lions winning against the Chiefs, the John Hussey controversy started circulating on social media.
Fans are criticizing the referee, John Hussey for not making the right decisions during the game which gave the Chiefs a lot of advantage over the Lions.
What is the false start rule in the NFL?
A false start is a common penalty against the offense, resulting in a loss of five yards. It occurs when an offensive player assumes a set position and then moves in a way that simulates the start of a play.
This can happen between the offense getting set and snapping the ball or with players in motion moving toward the line of scrimmage. The rule aims to prevent the offense from deceiving or baiting the defense with abrupt movements.
If a player does a false start, then his team must face a penalty and they lose 5 yards. However, during last night’s game between the Chiefs and the Lions, Jawaan Taylor the right tackle of the Chiefs made many false starts, and the referee didn’t even make a call.
These fouls made by Taylor didn’t go unnoticed by fans who immediately pointed out the referee for neglecting his just duties.
NFL ref John Hussey sees harsh criticism for missing multiple Jawaan Taylor false starts
The Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor was seen abruptly moving before the snap which means he made false starts. As fans noticed this in the video clips of the game, they started criticizing John Hussey, the referee who didn’t penalize him for his false starts.
No one is going to call False Start on #Chiefs Jawaan Taylor? it's pretty blatant..pic.twitter.com/oSbGlo10tq
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2023
Taylor committed false starts, not just once but multiple times during the game. The NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay also discussed this matter sharing that Taylor was supposed to be behind the scrimmage line with his helmet in the center, but he was “not remotely close” to where he needed to be.
What’s more shocking is that while Taylor’s techniques were evident, the referee John Hussey didn’t take notice of this matter. Fans started criticizing the referee wondering whether he was a Chiefs supporter, or his skills were extremely poor to notice such peculiar movements during the game.
ref for this game is John Hussey
he rarely calls illegal formations & KC may know this
in 2022 he called it just one time all year
in 2021 he called it just one time all yearstats per @nflrefstats1
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 8, 2023
It’s kind of nuts Chiefs are not getting called for false starts, and especially holding with John Hussey as the referee!
Hussey’s Star Wars action figure was literally him posed in a holding stance!#DETvsKC pic.twitter.com/GR8zxLH0Kz
— Dr. Lös Real Polyamorous Tantric Sex Guru (@LosRealAli) September 8, 2023
Fussey Hussey is his name, sucking at reffing is his game. https://t.co/6vVT14sm0y
— Zach Vaughn (12 Personnel Enthusiast) (@zvaughn2712) September 8, 2023
John Hussey and the Chiefs haven’t addressed this matter yet. But fans are outraged at the coach as everyone wants the NFL to be a fair league.
Although the Chiefs didn’t win the game, these sorts of tactics are intolerable and the players should be held accountable for breaking the game’s rules, which in this case, was the responsibility of John Hussey which he failed to fulfill.
