Earlier this week, the NFL sent a memo to teams reaffirming its commitment to cracking down on taunting penalties, and that officials' strict enforcement of these fouls will continue until players change their actions and behavior.
The league's point of emphasis has received widespread criticism since the beginning of this season. And just two weeks ago, a Monday night matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears featured a controversial and momentum-shifting taunting penalty late in the fourth quarter. So, what should NFL officials really be searching for when calling these fouls?
"I don't think the verbal stuff are things that are drawing flags. I think these are things that, optically, we can see," former NFL referee and current CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Friday. "Do we all have opinions on them? Yes. Are yours and mine different? More than likely, in certain cases. And then the personalities involved. You want to try to get everybody to collectively feel the same way.
"Maybe I allowed more banter than I should've at times, and other officials aren't doing that at all today. Crews, coaches, teams, and players know they call things a little tighter in certain areas. Officials are scouted just like teams. The optics -- the things we can see in our living room, that's not the type of posturing behavior you want to see. I think that's where you start, and I don't think you go back down and micromanage it..."
In the Pittsburgh Steelers' 29-27 win over the Chicago Bears back on Nov. 8, official Tony Corrente flagged Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh for taunting after completing a sack of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on a third-and-long late in the fourth quarter. What promoted the penalty? After completing the sack, Marsh did a spinning jump-kick in celebration, took steps toward the Steelers' sideline, and then jogged back to the Bears' side of the field.
Video replay also showed Corrente reaching for his flag and making contact with Marsh before calling the foul. While talking to reporters, Marsh accused Corrente of "hip-checking" him during the incident. Corrente addressed the penalty to a pool reporter, explaining that Marsh's posture and action toward Pittsburgh's sideline warranted the flag. He also noted that his brief contact with Marsh had nothing to do with the taunting penalty.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, there've been 35 taunting penalties called this year, tied for the most through 10 weeks since at least 2000. Between Weeks 8-10, there were a total of 16 taunting fouls.
The entire conversation between Steratore and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.