If it seemed to you like penalties and challenges were eating up more time than ever in the first weeks of the NFL season, the numbers back you up.
Several officiating-related metrics rose to new levels during the first three weeks of the season. I noted earlier this week that officials called more penalties -- 730, which doesn't include another 154 that were declined or offset -- than during any similar time period in league history. Coaches, meanwhile, threw 43 percent more challenge flags than they did through Week 3 of last season, and booth reviews are on an early pace to exceed the league record as well.
All these upticks have combined to produce at least one notable consequence: The average time of game rose to three hours and 10 minutes, nearly four minutes longer than 2014's pace through three weeks.
But I wouldn't fret too much over the length of games, at least not yet. There is reason to believe that at least one part of the reason for this early trend will drop off as the season continues. Let's look first at the details and then propose a few possible explanations.
There were a total of 884 penalties called through Week 3, an average of 18.42 per game. That's up from 17.02 penalties per game during the first three weeks in 2014 and 14.77 in 2013, per league figures. So on average, 2015 games are seeing 1.4 more penalty calls than last season. (The big jump between 2013 and 2014 was the result of a point of emphasis on illegal contact and defensive holding.)
The rise in penalties this season can be attributed to an uptick in offensive holding and snap infractions (false start, encroachment, neutral zone violations), which account for 33.2 percent of all penalties. Holding penalties alone are up 20 percent in 2015 compared to the first three weeks of 2014.
Coaches threw 46 challenge flags in the first three weeks, which is short of a league record but much higher than the 25 they threw through Week 3 last season, per ESPN Stats & Information records. (Since 2001, the highest number of challenge flags thrown in the first three weeks of any season is 56 in 2004.)
There were 53 booth reviews in the first 48 games. If that rate continues all season, the league would exceed its current record of 278 booth reviews, set in 2012. (Weekly breakdowns were not available.)
The average time of game was 190.7 minutes, per the Elias Sports Bureau. That well exceeds the 186.9 minutes the average game took during the first three weeks of 2014 but is still below the 193.6 average from 2013. Looked at another way, the NFL's welcomed reduction in time of game last season has reversed, but the length of games has not returned previous highs.
How much should we be worried? There is some precedent for September being a high penalty month as officials and players learn new rules and boundaries. Last season, for example, penalty rates dropped by about 10 percent during Weeks 4-6.
Meanwhile, the uptick in offensive holding can't necessarily be attributed to officiating. As I said Thursday, line play across the league has deteriorated. Poorly performing linemen tend to grab and hold more often than those who are in position and using proper technique.
Finally, it's only fair to consider the role of scoring in the extension of game time. Teams scored 2,261 points through the first three weeks, their second-best three-week start to a season in league history. It stands to reason that more scoring leads to more changes of possession, which takes more time.
Ultimately, this trend should be classified as one to continue watching but not one to flip out about just yet. The first 48 games represent 18.8 percent of the season. We'll keep you posted.
Note: The chart below details the average number of total penalties -- accepted, declined and offset -- called by each of the NFL's 17 crews. Look for this chart to repost eregularly during the season. As in previous years, you'll see there can be a significant difference -- 35 percent, in this case -- between the most (John Parry) and least frequent (Brad Allen).