Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley wasn’t happy with the referees’ emphasis on illegal formations Thursday.
The Ravens were flagged four times for illegal formations in their season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Stanley was flagged three times for illegal formations.
Illegal formations are something the refs have been pushing hard on this season. In the past, the refs didn’t always call players if the offensive line leaned back or if players were half a step behind the line of scrimmage. But on Thursday, the refs called the foul hard, especially on the Ravens.
After the game, Stanley criticized the referees, saying he felt they were making an example of him.
“The way the game went, I really feel like they were just trying to set an example and they picked me to be the one to do it,” Stanley told reporters (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). “From what I saw, they weren’t doing it on both sides of the ball and I know I was lined up in a good position most of the calls they made. But we’ll go back and watch the film and make sure of it and send it out.
“If it’s so serious that they’re making these calls when they shouldn’t be, they should be held accountable.”
Stanley felt the game was officiated differently than how NFL referees had handled it during training camp.
“I would even go so far as to say I was more forward than I had in the past because of the emphasis on that discipline,” Stanley said. “It’s something we knew in training camp and worked on as linemen. We have referees at practice all the time. It’s never been an issue.”
Fans and NFL analysts alike noted throughout the night that there was a discrepancy between how the Ravens were allowed to line up and how the Chiefs were allowed to line up. Several people on social media felt like the Chiefs were backing up on the line without being penalized.
This is ridiculous.
This is not illegal training. pic.twitter.com/02x8jmB1tB
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) September 6, 2024
Ravens Offensive Line Referees: Illegal formation, head not aligned in proper 6-inch zone
Chiefs Offensive Line References:
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 6, 2024
It’s crazy because Juwan Taylor doesn’t line up any better than these Ravens OTs
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) September 6, 2024
In the meantime, here is Jawaan Taylor https://t.co/4gjcWONR24 pic.twitter.com/Jmk2NJJgz0
— Danny Heifetz (@Danny_Heifetz) September 6, 2024
After the game, on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Scott Van Pelt said he felt the referees were a little too involved in the play.
Scott Van Pelt:
Everyone is excited that the NFL is back. And it’s an incredible sport with two great teams.
I think it’s safe to say that at one point the refereeing spectacle in this game was a little excessive. pic.twitter.com/Vm19um8Ja0
— Awful Announcement (@awfulannouncing) September 6, 2024
The Ravens have nine days until their Week 2 home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. They’ll likely try to fix their lineup to avoid more costly penalties. But they’ll also likely voice their displeasure to the league.
