The Jaguars were given an incredibly costly penalty late in overtime on Sunday against the Jets, as Jacksonville linebacker Paul Posluszny was flagged for taunting, handing the Jets 15 yards that helped them get into position for the game-winning field goal.
Afterward, coach Doug Marrone said he talked to referee Gene Steratore and couldn’t believe the call was on Posluszny, who has a reputation for good sportsmanship, not taunting.
“For taunting, he told me on the sideline,” Marrone said. “That’s way out of character. I even said something to Gene afterward, ‘You realize that was on 51 . . . on Poz? That might be the first one he’s ever had in his life.”
Posluszny said he thought the flag would have been thrown on Dylan Donahue of the Jets for an illegal blindside block, and he was stunned when he found out that the flag was on him for saying something to Donahue afterward.
“I got drilled,” Posluszny said. “That’s why I reacted the way I did. I’m interested to see what it looks like on film. I don’t see how I get cleaned up like that and then I get called for unsportsmanlike conduct. They have taken that play out of the game, you know what I mean? That’s what I’m confused about right now. I know I got cleaned up.”
On the play in question, the Jets returned a punt to the Jaguars’ 40-yard line, and from there the Jaguars’ defense would have had a chance to make a stop and keep the Jets from kicking a game-winning field goal. But after Posluszny’s penalty the Jets were at the 25, already in field goal range, and Chandler Catanzaro hit the game-winning 41-yard field goal. The penalty was costly, and confusing to the Jaguars.