In this week's installment of the Burning Question series, I coin flipped between asking how everyone felt about the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance but seeing as that is already being widely talked about, I wanted to ask a question I haven't been seeing as much news on. I wanted to know what you all felt regarding the Jawaan Taylor situation. If you don't know already, Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor has been receiving some flak from the NFL for lining up in a rather peculiar stance (to them) when coming off the snap. An example is shown below:
As you can see, it's not the traditional stance most linemen come out of off the snap, but rather one being incorporated by modern offensive tackles to gain an advantage on the defensive end. Seems reasonable right? As long as he isn't jumping before the snap and he's lined up appropriately along the line no reason to call foul? Wrong, at least in the case of Jawaan Taylor. Taylor has been singled out by the NFL media and officiating for doing something many tackles such as Lane Johnson, Tyron Smith, Orlando Brown, Jr., and others I've seen coming out of this stance do. It's common, but since it's the Chiefs and the NFL wants "parity" they have to make sure the Chiefs do not have the advantage, whether it be legal or illegal. Mind you, this is a completely legal stance so long as it is timed right and the tackle is lined up with his head still in line with the center on the line of scrimmage. Yet, when Jawaan Taylor does it, coincidentally after big plays happen it seems, it's called. Let's show Lane Johnson coming out of this stance for reference, a play by him that was NOT called for false statement or illegal formation. Observe:
This is Lane Johnson doing it ILLEGALLY as shown by center Jason Kelce's arm movement. He jumps the snap before Kelce gets the ball off, it is a false start. Yet, here we are, calling Jawaan Taylor for it and seemingly Jawaan Taylor only. This being said, the Chiefs have benched him twice now the series after he gets called for it. Whether that be for rest and recovery purposes or to serve as a lesson, nobody knows. What is known is that Taylor is catching flak for it. Given what we know about the discretion in calling these penalties that the NFL is using as well as Taylor's inability to adjust to these rules (more or less playing devil's advocate for the NFL with that statement) what do we think? Should Taylor have to adjust? Is the NFL singling out Taylor? Should the Chiefs do something about it? Let me know in the comments below and over social media. Happy answering to all!
Burn Notice: 10/10 Taylor getting burnt like this...
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