No one seems more determined to derail the Baltimore Ravens than the officials.
It’s been a recurring nightmare for the 2024 Ravens, a team plagued by officiating controversies like no other season in franchise history. Monday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers was no different, as the refs managed to manufacture yet another head-scratching call.
In typical Ravens fashion, the officials wasted no time. On Baltimore’s very first possession, fullback Patrick Ricard was flagged for a “leg whip” penalty - a call so obscure that many fans were left Googling its existence. It’s hard not to feel like the refs are simply making things up at this point.
You can watch the play below:
I didn’t even realize there was a “Leg Whip” penalty until now, interesting pic.twitter.com/JVTnFR85sQ
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 26, 2024
What do you see? If you had eyes, you'd see a missed block by Ricard. You'd see a 300-pound man whiff on a block and then proceed to roll on the ground. No contact. No intent. No flag. The whistles are getting ridiculously out of hand. Also, the fact that the penalty is 15 yards screams unfair for what fans saw on the field. Brutal.
The Ravens get screwed by the refs week in and week out
The Ravens are no strangers to officiating nightmares in 2024.
Week after week, Baltimore lines up to play football while the officials find new ways to nickel-and-dime them with ticky-tacky penalties. This season, Baltimore leads the NFL in penalties, an infuriating trend that has consistently disrupted their rhythm and momentum.
Carl Cheffers, the head official for Monday night's game, wasn’t expected to cause much trouble for Baltimore. Known for overseeing relatively clean games with an average of under 10 penalties per contest, Cheffers seemed like a decent match for a Ravens team desperate to avoid yet another penalty-filled disaster. His games this season had featured below-average penalty yardage and a reputation for letting players battle in the trenches. Yet somehow, even Cheffers couldn’t resist sticking it to Baltimore early.
The penalty on Ricard was not just questionable - it felt deliberate. Baltimore’s offense was already under pressure to produce after an opening Chargers touchdown, and the call immediately threw them off their script.
Fans couldn’t help but wonder how a referee crew with a history of "letting them play" suddenly decided to enforce one of the rarest penalties in the book against Baltimore.
Don’t let one bad call mislead you. There will be many more terrible calls against the Ravens in this game, so stay vigilant.