For a long time now, fans have been endlessly annoyed at referees deciding the course of an NFL game. While holding one of the toughest jobs in the world, subject to immense scrutiny, they must make game-deciding decisions based on any incursions or penalties that teams may incur.
However, in the Thursday Night Football clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, things reached new heights when the latter was flagged an absurd number of times before the game was even close to being over. It brought into question what the most number of penalties incurred by a team was.
Most Penalties Committed by a Team
With the score at 20-13, the Buccaneers had the decided edge midway through the third quarter. But on the possession to notch their second touchdown, the Falcons were penalized for the 14th time when the Bucs were in the red zone.
While certainly a huge number, especially with the game far from being over, it is far less crazy than what the Oakland Raiders did in that regard in 2016. On Oct. 30, 2016, in another game involving the Buccaneers, the Raiders were flagged an insane 23 times.
That mark is one penalty higher than the 1998 San Francisco 49ers, who were flagged 22 times against the Buffalo Bills. Somehow, the Raiders still managed to score 30 points and win the contest.
Coincidentally, the Raiders also played that game against Tampa Bay. But the final result might give the Falcons hope that they can pull out a shocking victory in the contest. Near the end of the third quarter, they inched closer to the Raiders’ record, adding the 15th penalty that brought them to 100 yards in lost yardage.
Most Penalties Committed in an NFL Game
However, the ongoing game between the Falcons and Buccaneers is still miles away from the most penalties in a game for both teams combined. The Buccaneers have played a relatively clean game, with just three penalties against them. As a result, the game total is at 18 between the two squads.
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The record, though, would require a long trip down memory lane. On Oct. 17, 1976, the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were both expansion teams. Believe it or not, they combined for a whopping 35 accepted penalties for 310 yards.
“There were 16 holding penalties. Twice the Bucs were called for having 12 men on the field, and on seven occasions they were faced with second or third down and 20 or more yards to go,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Ben Baskin.
Seattle ultimately won the game 13-10, scoring all of their points in the third quarter. There would’ve been even more penalties, but two were declined while two others were offsetting.
That record might be a bit too much for this game to overcome. But with an entire quarter remaining, the single-game record for a franchise is well within the realm of possibility.