Roughing Call Riles Ravens

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn't happy about the roughing call on Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer.

"If that's roughing the passer, then I don't know how you're supposed to get Carson Palmer, a 250-pound quarterback, down ... other than tackling him," Harbaugh said.

The ref who made the call, Gene Steratore, had this to say after the game:

The roughing the passer as I defined it in my opinion on that play is the defender who has driven his body weight onto the quarterback as he‘s tackling him. He’s applying his body weight on there. It’s a judgment call and in my opinion I felt like he had driven himself into the ground with the quarterback.

Former NFL Vice President of Officiating Mike Pereira agrees it's a judgment call, but would have ruled the other way.

While referees are instructed to err on the side of safety when it comes to protecting the quarterback, I feel the call was incorrect. Suggs made a form tackle on Palmer. And while he did land on top of him, he did not appear to unnecessarily or violently throw the quarterback down and land on top of him with most or all of his weight, which is what the rule states. I can see why the referee made the call that he did, but to me, it was a normal tackle and not a foul.

As a Cincinnati Bengals fan, let me say two things: one, yup, that call was bullsh*t. Two: join the club.