Chicago Bears defensive linemen Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks had a humorous back-and-forth on Twitter after it was reported NFL officials called fewer offensive holding penalties in Week 1.
Hicks responded to the report with the eyeball emoji, prompting Mack to allude to being held in Chicago's Week 1 over the Detroit Lions.
That’s what happened 😂😂 https://t.co/ICJDdWDqf4
— Khalil Mack (@FiftyDeuce) September 16, 2020
Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported the league experienced a seismic drop in the number of offensive penalties called during the first week of the new season:
Offensive holding penalties in the NFL plummeted to their lowest Week 1 total in at least 20 seasons, an unexpected drop that was noticeable throughout the league's first weekend of games.
Officials threw only 18 flags for offensive holding across the league, a drop of 78% from Week 1 in 2019 and 58.6% from the five-year average from 2014 to 2018, according to ESPN Stats & Information data.
It would seem Chicago's defensive stars would appreciate more opportunities to make plays in the backfield.
Hicks tallied a sack against the Lions, but Mack was shut out. Mack also failed to register a single quarterback hit, though he had plenty of hurries on Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford.
The Bears will hope to find new ways to generate pressure in the event referees continue to swallow penalty flags.
Chicago's defense was the most dominant force in the league in 2018, with Mack and Hicks combining for 20 sacks and nine forced fumbles, six of which came from Mack.
But the Monsters of Midway took a bit of a step back in 2019. Hicks dealt with injuries, and Mack had four fewer sacks. A defense that led the NFL in DVOA in 2018 slipped to 10th in DVOA in 2019, per Football Outsiders.
The Bears need Mack and Hicks to get to the quarterback, especially without Eddie Goldman on the field. That could prove more challenging if offensive holding penalties continue to decline.
Follow Us
Subscribe