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The New England Patriots offensive line took it on the chin from the officials during Sunday night’s preseason finale against the Washington Commanders, just not for the usual reasons referees get under players’ skins.
During the Patriots’ 20-10 loss in Washington in a nationally televised game on NBC, referee Shawn Hochuli took a shot at New England’s struggling line.
Patriots left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor committed an illegal formation penalty late in the 1st half, negating an impressive touchdown throw from quarterback Drake Maye to wide receiver K.J. Osborn. The flag marked the 3rd such penalty on Okorafor, with all 3 being for illegal formation. That’s the moment things got interesting, causing a stir on social media because it’s just something you never see.
“Illegal formation, once again, left tackle No. 77 was lined up in the backfield,” Hochuli said for all of the nation to see on national TV.
https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1827881909084422513
Shawn Hochuli, the 46-year-old son of former longtime referee Ed Hochuli, appeared to be poking fun at the struggles of the Patriots line and of Okorafor in particular. Fans and media members just couldn’t believe Hochuli framed it in such a menacing way, causing many to further criticize New England’s O-line group.
All joking aside, there are serious concerns along the offensive front for New England. Sidy Sow went down with an injury during Sunday night’s game, and he was seen in a walking boot afterward. That’s just the latest issue for a mightily struggling unit this preseason.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
