In a time-honored sporting tradition, what started out as a historic trend soon may become merely notable. While NFL officials, through week fourteen, have thrown their penalty flags at a rate that would constitute an all-time* high, that rate has been falling as the season has worn on.

My note from last week still applies: 2017 now looks quite close to the prior peaks in 2015 and 2014. If things continue as they have this season, 2017 still will be the high-water mark for penalty flags in the NFL, but the week-to-week trend strongly suggests that that is not a reasonable assumption. That trend also lends some support to the idea that abbreviated preseason training leads to worse play early in the regular season.

* The NFL Penalty Tracker has data going back to the 2009 season, but I’m pretty confident that we still are witnessing the all-time high-water mark.

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Previously
Falling into a deep swell? (NFL week thirteen penalty update)
Good news but bad news (NFL week ten penalty update)
Stability of a kind (NFL week nine penalty update)
People are noticing (NFL 2017 week eight penalty update)
Is this still a thing? (NFL 2017 week seven penalty update)
Alberto’s favorite things (NFL 2017 week three penalty update)
NFL week two penalty update (2017)
The NFL returns with zebras on parade