What's a defender supposed to do?

That's the question many football fans were asking after Eagles defensive back Reed Blankenship was called for unnecessary roughness against Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson during the third quarter on opening night of the NFL season.

Facing third-and-22, quarterback Dak Prescott threw the ball into the end zone down the middle to Ferguson as Blankenship tried to make a play. At the last second, Blankenship appeared to try to hold up, but a diving Ferguson hit him head-first as Blankenship braced for impact.

Ferguson took a hard hit to the head, but it didn't seem like there was anything the defensive back could have done short of allowing the tight end to catch the ball.

One prominent figure to defend Blankenship after the penalty was retired defensive back Richard Sherman, who disagreed with the call and said it was "just not realistic" to expect him to do anything else.

Sherman also added "ball don't lie" because the Cowboys turned it over on the next play.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Pro Bowl DB Defends Reed Blankenship After Brutal Hit.