It’s easier to grow frustrated about the way things are managed when you’re losing, whether you have any control over it or not. One thing over which players decidedly have no control is the manner in which games are officiated. And no players, I believe, have a greater grievance against officiating in today’s NFL than pass rushers.
Somewhat surprisingly, it even boiled over for Pittsburgh Steelers star OLB T.J. Watt following Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. While he tried to restrain himself, he still allowed that he feels “the NFL has something going against me”, because it’s the only way he could explain why he almost never draws holding calls.