It’ll be known as the Roughing-the-Passer Game. Or the Wright-Does-Wrong Game. In the final seconds of the East Division semi-final, Toronto Argonauts defensive lineman Martin Wright was called for roughing the passer on Tiger-Cats QB Jeremiah Masoli, which put Hamilton in field-goal range and set up a game-winning Justin Medlock field goal with no time left on the clock.
The call was met with disbelief by many on the Argos’ sideline, especially Wright. “I got around the edge, and the offensive tackle pushed me in the back, and I fell into the quarterback’s legs,” he said after the game. “At the end of the play I was like, ‘I hope they don’t throw no flag.’ And they threw a flag. You can’t control the refs.” (Take a look at the hit at the 9:30 mark here.)
On Monday the CFL league office made their ruling known: “The play was reviewed by the League office and the call made on the field correctly met the standard for a roughing the passer penalty. The hit was low and late.”
In this edition of the CFL roundtable, our expert panel debates the question:
Was the roughing-the-passer penalty against Martin Wright the correct call?
DONNOVAN BENNETT: No. Context and intent matter. Nobody watching that play can honestly say Wright meant to hit Masoli, or that Masoli was in danger of being injured. Never mind the fact it exposes that Wright was pushed in the back on the play and a penalty on Hamilton was never called. The Ti-Cats deserved to win, but it is unfortunate a great rivalry game has that call hanging over the outcome.
JUSTIN DUNK: By the definition of the rule it was right, but Wright had no ill intentions when his momentum carried him into the lower body of Jeremiah Masoli. It was clear that Wright was trying to avoid contact with the quarterback as best he could on the play.
ARASH MADANI: It wasn’t, what with Wright being pushed into Masoli’s knees by the right tackle. But Andre Proulx was at the controls, and when Andre’s got the whistle, getcha popcorn ready. That call, while costly, was not why the Argos lost. They weren’t good enough in the third quarter offensively, when they could have finished off the wobbly Ti-Cats; they missed two critical field goals in the fourth quarter; receivers ran into one another on a play that otherwise could have been a touchdown. Beyond just the game, the Argos lost their season because of bad leadership at the top. “Home games” played in five different stadiums, including being the “home team” in Ottawa against the Redblacks is the organization’s legacy from this 2015 season. With new ownership, and a new home, the franchise has a chance to gain some relevance in the market. So long as receivers don’t run into each other during critical plays.
JAMIE THOMAS: Absolutely. Sure, the Argos deserved a better fate considering all they went through this year. But going low on a quarterback has to be called no matter what the situation is.