‘The NFL is a joke’ – Fans furious at officials after ‘crazy’ penalty shootout in TNF fight between 49ers and Seahawks

NFL officials were once again in the line of fire after a “ridiculous” roughing the passer call on Thursday night football.

49ers star Nick Bosa, 25, was controversially flagged after knocking down Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.

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Bosa has grown into one of the NFL’s elite defensemen, averaging 14.5 sacks in the season.

And he showed those skills in a blockbuster third-quarter game at Lumen Field.

On a third and eighth, Bosa broke past his blockers and charged at Smith in the pocket.

He hit Smith just after the Seattle play-caller released the ball, which landed in the hands of 49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir.

Lenoir dodged two tackles before scoring a defensive touchdown – only for flags to be thrown in the backfield.

The officials didn’t seem to like the way Bosa finished his tackle on Smith.

But fans on social media went mad over another ‘soft’ penalty in a season riddled with controversy.

One wrote: “The NFL is a joke.”

Another added: “This is embarrassing NFL.”

A third raged: “Bro… football ain’t football anymore.”

While a fourth said: “Perfect goal. Do we still want to play this sport? Crazy that that’s a penalty.”

But Bosa took the disappointment on his chin and admitted after the game he thought it was the ‘right decision’.

Bosa said: “It was the right call with what they’ve been calling lately.

“I kind of lost my head and unfortunately injured my team.

“I just have so many good players around me. It’s never just about me.

Despite the setback, the 49ers clinched their first NFC West title since 2019 with a 21-13 win.

Coach Kyle Shanahan had nothing but praise for backup Brock Purdy, who stepped in as quarterback after injuries to Jimmy Garoppollo and Trey Lance.

Shanahan said, “He’s definitely the most balanced rookie I’ve ever had.

“He’s been like this since he got here.

“From what I heard about him in college I think it was very similar, he just started as a freshman and he was great. He’s been ready all week.”

San Francisco (10-4) will look to continue their winning streak in a Christmas Eve match against the Washington Commanders.