{"id":110596,"date":"2025-10-21T13:31:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=110596"},"modified":"2025-10-21T13:31:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:31:21","slug":"falcons-icon-matt-ryan-slams-former-team-for-wasting-chances-in-loss-to-49ers-despite-referee-favoritism-accidentally-exposes-major-officiating-blunders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=110596","title":{"rendered":"Falcons Icon Matt Ryan Slams Former Team For Wasting Chances In Loss To 49ers Despite Referee Favoritism – Accidentally Exposes Major Officiating Blunders"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Atlanta, Georgia \u2013 October 21, 2025<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Former Atlanta Falcons legendary quarterback Matt Ryan continues to “throw stones” at his old team following the 10-20 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in NFL Week 7. In an ESPN interview today, “Matty Ice” stressed that the Falcons received referee decisions that “tilted heavily” in their favor, but lacked the sharpness to turn them into a victory. In particular, Ryan highlighted the controversial pass interference (PI) call against the 49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir \u2013 a play that even Richard Sherman, the ex-Seahawks and 49ers star, dubbed a “BS call” (bullshit call), handing the Falcons a golden opportunity they failed to fully capitalize on.<\/p>\n

“That game was riddled with moments where the refs seemed to be ‘helping’ the Falcons, from the PI on Lenoir to uncalled alignment errors. But we played like we were waiting for another handout, instead of pouncing,” Ryan said, his voice laced with disappointment. “That’s not the DNA of the Dirty Birds \u2013 we have to learn to turn ‘luck’ into touchdowns, not let it slip through our fingers.”<\/p>\n

Based on analysis from ESPN, CBS Sports, and X commentary, the game at Levi’s Stadium featured a slew of disputed calls, with the Falcons allegedly benefiting from the refs’ inconsistency. Ryan uses these examples to criticize his former team, inadvertently exposing major flaws in the NFL’s officiating system \u2013 where calls like PI seem driven more by subjectivity than rules.<\/p>\n

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  1. The “BS” Pass Interference on Deommodore Lenoir (Q3): A Ref Gift the Falcons Squandered<\/strong>\u00a0In a pivotal moment as the Falcons chased the score (10-17), WR Drake London was deemed “impeded” by 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir, resulting in a 22-yard PI penalty \u2013 advancing the Falcons from third-and-long to an easy FG or deep-shot position. Richard Sherman, in his NBC breakdown, called it a “bullshit call”: “Lenoir was playing clean, going after the ball. If you’re calling PI here, you gotta flag OPI on the receiver too for the hand-fighting \u2013 but the refs only saw one side. They’re making life hell for the defense.” Video of the play, viral on X, clearly shows routine contact in a ball dispute, yet the refs whistled it, giving the Falcons three points (making it 13-17). Ryan commented: “That’s a 22-yard gift \u2013 enough to flip the script. But instead of pushing hard, we just kicked the FG and let the 49ers breathe. Deadly mistake!” Per PFF, this was one of the “questionable calls” fueling the “screwed over” feeling for the 49ers, even though they won through superior execution.<\/li>\n
  2. Intentional Grounding in the Second Quarter: Falcons “Dodged a Bullet” Thanks to the 10-Second Runoff?<\/strong>\u00a0With the Falcons poised to tie it (10-3), QB Michael Penix Jr. committed intentional grounding, which should have triggered a 10-second runoff to end the half. But the refs “forgot” to verify the exact clock, giving the Falcons extra breathing room and avoiding a bigger setback. “If they’d been strict, we could’ve lost the half \u2013 but they let us off. And the Falcons didn’t capitalize to score,” Ryan said. Falcon Wire labeled it an “under-the-radar advantage” that kept them alive.<\/li>\n
  3. Falcons’ Defensive Alignment Error: No Call, Clear “Bias”?<\/strong>\u00a0In Q4, the Falcons had only 10 players on the field during the 49ers’ third-and-14 at the 4-yard line, but the refs let it slide, allowing Mac Jones to complete a 17-yard pass to Christian McCaffrey and set up goal-to-go. “A free 5-yard non-call \u2013 should’ve been a first down for the 49ers. We could’ve built momentum from it, but let McCaffrey waltz into the end zone,” Ryan slammed. CBS Sports noted how rare it is to overlook this, spotlighting the officiating’s lack of transparency.<\/li>\n
  4. Other Penalties and Overall Imbalance<\/strong>\u00a0The Falcons drew 6 penalties for 43 yards, but calls like roughing the passer on Penix (praised by Falcons fans on X) “saved” them from killer sacks. “The refs were trying to bail us out at key spots, but the Falcons couldn’t seize it. That’s why we lost \u2013 not because the 49ers were better, but because we beat ourselves,” Ryan asserted. Recent studies on “implicit bias” (like with the Chiefs) position this game as a prime example.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Richard Sherman on the pass interference call against Deommodore Lenoir:<\/p>\n

    \u201cDeommodore played well. That was a BS PI call on him. These referees are getting out of hand. It\u2019s a hard enough to play defense in this league and for them to call PI on plays where the defender is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/9Oif5lnyJ4<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Coach Yac \ud83d\udde3 (@Coach_Yac) October 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n