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After the Baltimore Ravens lost 27-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 to kick off the 2024 NFL season, there was plenty of blame to go around. One particular group that drew the ire of Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley after the game were the referees, who called five illegal formation penalties on the Ravens, with three going on Stanley's jacket. After the game, Stanley and Harbaugh both called Shawn Hoculi, his crew, and the NFL out.
“Ronnie Stanley said he felt the refs were trying to make an example out of him with illegal formation call. Said it was not called the way the team was told it would be called when the pro refs were at training camp practices,” The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec reported after the game. “Stanley said he was looking at how the Chiefs tackles were lining up and he couldn’t understand why Ravens were getting called and KC wasn’t. He’s calling for accountability with refs.”
Harbaugh was a little more diplomatic, just saying that he hopes the refs call illegal formations across the board the same way, and not just against them.
“They put a thing out that they said they were going to call that differently,” Harbaugh said in his postgame presser. “I think understanding how differently we were the first offensive series of the season with that. I think they saw probably everyone watching it. It'll be interesting to see if they call it the same way the whole season. I'll challenge them to call it the same way they called it tonight the whole season.”
During the game, John Harbaugh was caught on camera saying they weren't calling it both ways, as the Chiefs' offensive linemen were also setting up in the backfield.
John Harbaugh just mouthed “it’s not being called both ways”
Chiefs refs back? pic.twitter.com/z68QNlYaDK
— Bottom Shelf Sports (@bottomshelf__) September 6, 2024
The rule in question is a renewed emphasis on not letting the tackles set up further back than the backside of the center. Doing so allows the offensive lineman more time before the pass rusher gets to them, making it easier to block them and give the quarterback more time.
Ultimately, the Ravens had seven penalties for 65 yards while the Chiefs got called for six for 45 yards. While that discrepancy isn't huge, those three calls on the first series of the game set a tone for the rest of the contest, even though the Ravens did end up driving 65 yards and scoring a touchdown on that series to take a 7-0 lead in the game.
