The Jaguars followed up last week’s flat showing against Houston by steamrolling the Chargers. But one moment kept resurfacing: Defensive end Dawuane Smoot letting up on what looked like an easy sack of quarterback Trey Lance. It appeared half-hearted in real time, but former pass rusher J.J. Watt didn’t hesitate to defend him and every defender in football.

Responding to a clip questioning why Smoot didn’t just finish the tackle, Watt pointed to the climate defenders operate in now.

“This is a perfect example of what some of these “roughing the passer” calls are doing to defenders…,” he wrote on X.

Smoot had already been flagged for roughing earlier in the game and, like every defender this year, is fully aware of how quickly a routine hit can turn into a 15-yard penalty and quite a hefty fine straight from the NFL head office.

Justin Herbert left late in the second quarter after taking a hit, bringing Lance into the game. When Smoot got his clean shot, he clearly throttled down. Not because he didn’t want the sack, but because he has seen how tightly officiating is wound around quarterbacks this season.

Since the foul automatically hands over 15 yards and a first down, it’s one of the most damaging penalties a defense can take. Add in the threat of ejections for anything deemed “flagrant,” or fines for hits categorized as hip-drops, and you understand why defenders are pulling up.

Many of these calls have been for borderline contact, leaving defenders to guess where the line is from snap to snap. And Watt has been one of the strongest voices against the officiating.

J.J. Watt continues to stand up against soft RTP calls

This isn’t the first time the former Texans’ DE has sounded the alarm on officiating. Just last month on The Pat McAfee Show, Watt unloaded on the league’s recent rash of roughing-the-passer calls, calling them “bull—-” and arguing that officials are making it nearly impossible for defenders to do their jobs.

“This is about the best possible way you can lay a quarterback down, and we’re still throwing flags on it. Somebody’s got to stand up for the defensive guys here. This is just bull—-. You don’t want us to hit him high. You don’t want us to hit him low. We’re trying to play by your rules. Give us a break,” Watt argued.

He was talking specifically about penalties on Saints pass rusher Carl Granderson for a hit on Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, and another on Bucs lineman Logan Hall for contact with Seattle’s Sam Darnold, both borderline plays that still drew roughing calls.

“Take a second, see that he rolled off. It’s like performing acrobatics. You pull off, and you pull your hands away. … I’m clearly not trying to do anything bad here. For Christ’s sake. You know how badly I want this sack. It’s so hard to get. Don’t take it away from me,” Watt added.

No one is arguing against protecting quarterbacks. But the speed at which flags are being thrown, often without a clear look at the play, is a real concern. The league has tilted its rules toward safety, but there has to be room for defenders to play real football without feeling like every clean hit could cost their team 15 yards.