Vrabel Blasts Officials for Non-Calls

Baltimore was penalized on par with its regular-season averages, but it was not enough for the Titans coach.

Mike Vrabel was willing to believe that the officials on hand for Sunday’s NFL playoff game at Nissan Stadium like their jobs.

Vrabel did not much like the job they did during the Tennessee Titans’ 20-13 wild card loss to the Baltimore Ravens, though.

When asked about his team’s final play on offense—an interception with two minutes to play—the Titans coach could not help himself. He let loose on the crew led by referee Jerome Bogar and about more than just the play in question.

The pass was intended for wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who either fell just as the ball arrived or was knocked to the ground by cornerback Marcus Peters, who ended up with the ball in his hands. It depends on who you ask, and Vrabel certainly did inquire.

“I just asked the official, and he said … Kalif ran into [Peters],” Vrabel said. “So, that’s what the official saw.

“I mean, clearly, these guys aren’t calling any penalties. We recognized that a long time ago. They’re just going to sit there and try to hold on to another week and see if they can officiate as long as they want and not call any penalties.”

In all seven penalties were marked off in the contest, and the Ravens were the more penalized team of the two. They were flagged five times for 60 yards, including once for taunting after Peters’s interception.

Two penalties were called against the Titans, which cost them 10 yards.

One was for defensive holding when Baltimore punted on fourth-and-31 with 11 seconds remaining in the first half. Officials determined that the violation came before the kick, which meant an automatic first down for the Ravens and no chance for Tennessee’s offense to try and do something dramatic before the half.

Baltimore was one of the NFL’s most penalized teams during the regular season with 104 violations for 961 yards (6.5 and 60.1 per game, respectively). Sunday’s numbers were right in line with how the Ravens were officiated during the regular season … but they were not nearly enough for Vrabel.