Chiefs fans blast NFL referees for ignoring Lane Johnson's penalties vs Bucs - "Jawaan Taylor would’ve had 15"

Offensive linemen like Lane Johnson get much attention after doing three things. First, they’ve pancaked a defensive lineman to create a big gap that a running back can waltz through. Second, if they caught a touchdown pass or a two-point conversion as an eligible receiver.

Third, and more frustratingly, if game officials flagged them for penalties. They are prone to commit false starts and formation violations because of losing the cadence count on their heads or claiming to hear the snap. The debate for false starts ensued during Johnson and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 3 game.

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Football fans referenced Jawaan Taylor in Lane Johnson’s uncalled penalties

JPAFootball tweeted during the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 3 Monday Night Football match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He showed a clip that Johnson jumped the gun before the snap. He captioned the post:

“#Eagles RT Lane Johnson has been getting an early start a few times tonight — but hasn’t been called yet. Brings up the interesting topic of Jawaan Taylor getting so many flags for it.”

That observation led one football fan to comment:

“Jawaan Taylor would’ve had 15 penalties by now.”

On the contrary, another Twitter user said:

“He knows how to time it”

Here are other reactions to Lane Johnson taking a page from the Jawaan Taylor playbook.

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Does Lane Johnson deserve the same attention that Jawaan Taylor gets from game officials?

As the last comment shared, Lane Johnson is executing a legal move as long as his back leg doesn’t touch the ground before the snap. He is timing it well that he already has a head start in pass protection before the center transfers the ball to the quarterback.

Unfortunately, Jawaan Taylor hasn’t been getting the calls his way. Fans called him out in their Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions for false starts and illegal formations. There were instances where he lined up like a slot receiver behind the offensive line.

The rule is for his helmet to cross with the center’s hip. In some angles, it looked like he wasn’t in that area. Taylor’s penalties persisted in Week 2 when he was called for five penalties against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Aside from two false starts, he also drew one illegal formation and holding calls.

Those violations forced head coach Andy Reid to pull him out of the game. Taylor’s problems persisted in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears when he was charged two more illegal formation penalties.

Repeating these infractions is unsuitable for an offensive lineman who signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.