This is like the third thread I am saying this: The fact that Dallas couldn't buy a penalty for the first 3 quarters or so until they were down a good bit and then the flags started flying like mosquitos was freaking weird. This is something a lot of people have noticed in games around the league. Its almost like they are trying to keep the scores close. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I have been watching the NFL for decades now. I never got the impression that the missed calls were anything other than just missed calls . . . until recently.
Correct. They don't even have to hide it anymore. People are getting dumber, unable to put 2 and 2 together.
They are absolutely trying to keep the scores close. Remember just a few years ago, when a team went up by 3 scores, the game was over. Except for a few miracle finishes, of course. Now, a team goes up by 2 scores, and twwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttttttt, there go the flags to keep the games close. Extending drives, giving the team that is down a score so everyone keeps watching. It's actually blatantly obvious.
And it's not about counting the number of penalties for each team. All it takes is just 1 or 3 calls at the right time. In this case, just think about how many penalties when into the Eagles last TD drive. Including a PI on an uncatchable ball. The Eagles O was floundering and we were dominating the game, and BLAM, let's give them a TD so we can have an exciting ending. NFL doesn't care who wins, they care about exciting endings. That's what drives up ratings, keeps people watching.