Whether the officials or the players are responsible -- or both -- a game during which there are that many penalties is virtually unwatchable, and I gave up on it early. It simply wasn't worth the time. Pass rushers have a major dilemma. If they slow down and raise their arms to deflect a pass or distract a QB, they run the risk of contact with the helmet. If they go low, it's a penalty. If they hit the strike zone, they have to adjust their minimum to avoid falling directly on the QB. Risk: It becomes like OL holding -- technically a foul could be called on a large percentage of sacks. The officials must then decide when to throw a flag. The lack of practice shows. It really does. The lack of preseason play for many starters and key reserves is an issue, probably, but that's more debatable. College teams never had preseason and often do not look as rusty as those NFL teams looked last night.
Regardless the reasons, if the NFL doesn't get a handle on these problems, more people are going to find other things to do. People watch to be entertained. A 10th grade talent show might have provided greater entertainment.
