Clayton: Rash of penalties this season is bound to bite the Broncos

Thanks to the emphasis on the taunting rule and additional enforcement of late hits, personal fouls and additional illegal blocking penalties, there have been more flags thrown in 2021 than usual.

In the first two weeks of the season, there have been 435 penalties called. That’s a big jump over last year and recent years. It’s affected games.

The Seattle Seahawks had 10 penalties for 100 yards, including five on defense last week. It cost them a home against the Tennessee Titans.

Pete Carroll talked about trying to calm down the overaggressiveness of safety Jamal Adams. He also spoke about trying to stop wide receiver D.K. Metcalf from jawing too much with cornerbacks and getting penalties.

For Vic Fangio and the Broncos, it hasn’t been too bad. They’ve had 15 penalties in two games.

Denver is tied for 10th in the NFL in penalties. While they would like to be lower, 7.5 penalties a game isn’t bad. The Philadelphia Eagles lead the league with 22. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are next with 20.

Tom Brady has constantly been complaining about the game becoming too soft with the additional calls. Fans watch games to see football, not flags. Unfortunately, it’s not going to get any better.

The Broncos have gone through the first two games without a holding penalty. That’s good. They’ve had three false starts. Not bad. They are tied for second with three defensive pass interferences behind the San Francisco 49ers. That’s concerning.

Penalties are up this year. It’s going to bite every team at some point. When will it bite the Broncos?