Dec 1, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians looks for a flag during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Cardinals 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Cardinals have sent 15 plays to the NFL offices regarding the questionable officiating during their 24-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.
There were some very questionable calls throughout the game, but toward the end of the game there were three controversial calls. The two fourth quarter defensive holding penalties on safety Tyrann Mathieu and linebacker Matt Shaughnessy could have changed the outcome of the game. The call on Mathieu canceled out a Patrick Peterson interception with four minutes left, and the call on Shaughnessy negated his sack on quarterback Nick Foles on third down. Linebacker Daryl Washington also received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after complaining to the referees about the calls.
The Cardinals received six penalties for 55 yards, while the Eagles received five for 48 yards. The loss could be vital to the Cards playoff picture as they fall to a 7-5 record are tied with Philadelphia for 7th place in the NFC Conference, however the Eagles now own the tiebreaker.
Head coach Bruce Arians has still not received all of the answers he asked for regarding the game’s officiating. Arians refuses to blame the referees for the loss, but he did state that there was a problem. It seems his plan is to move forward from the loss and look ahead toward Sunday’s game with division foe St. Louis Rams.