In the second quarter today in Baltimore, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton blitzed as soon as the ball was snapped and drilled Titans quarterback Cam Ward for what he thought was a sack.
One problem: The Titans’ sideline had called timeout just before the snap.
That meant there was no play, and instead of a sack, the officials flagged Hamilton for unnecessary roughness.
On one hand, you can understand the officials’ thinking: A defensive player drilling a quarterback with a hard hit on a play that was blown dead is an automatic 15-yard penalty.
On the other hand, how was Hamilton supposed to know the play was blown dead? The home crowd in Baltimore was roaring, which was why the Titans were struggling to get their signals called and why the coaching staff decided to call timeout. If the crowd was loud enough that the Titans’ players couldn’t hear Ward barking out the signals, how was Hamilton supposed to hear the official on the Titans’ sideline blow his whistle?
It was unfortunate for Hamilton but ultimately not costly for the Ravens: The defense stuffed the Titans on fourth-and-goal later on the drive.
