Falcons’ Arthur Smith Comments on Controversial Penalty vs. Buccaneers

Sunday’s game between the Falcons and the Buccaneers ended on a controversial note after Atlanta defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was called for an iffy roughing the passer penalty on Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady that effectively ended the contest.

After picking up a first down on the penalty, the Bucs were able to run out the clock and win the game 21–15.

The play drew a number of strong reactions from around the NFL world, many of which disagreed with the call from referee Jerome Boger and his crew. Falcons coach Arthur Smith didn’t appear exactly pleased with the call either, but didn’t want to spend time dwelling on the penalty after the loss.

“It’s like a lot of things in life, [you] control what you can control,” Smith told reporters on Monday afternoon. “And what we can control is how to get better. We have a huge game Sunday here in Atlanta against the Niners, so that’s what our focus is now.”

Smith’s answer was somewhat of a departure from his initial reaction to the play during Sunday’s contest. Immediately after Boger announced the call, the Falcons coach looked incredulous on the sidelines, putting up his hands in disbelief. 

The frustration didn’t stop there as Smith was later seen yelling “f------ b-----” with just over a minute of game time left after the roughing the passer penalty.

When asked about the controversial penalty after the game, Brady said, “I don’t throw the flags,” while Boger defended the call saying that the Tampa quarterback being “thrown to the ground” is the reason why the penalty was called.

With the win, the Bucs took over sole possession of first place in the NFC South at 3–2 on the season. The Falcons dropped to 2–3 with the loss heading into a Week 6 matchup with the 49ers.

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