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NFL has most accepted penalties through four weeks since 1978

The NFL is off to a penalty-heavy start in 2023, with the league already recording 983 accepted penalties through the first four weeks of the season. This marks the highest total at this stage since 1978, when play-by-play data became widely available, signaling an unusually aggressive early stretch in terms of officiating calls.

Week 4 alone saw 271 penalties called across 16 games, the second-most in a single week over the same period, with 12 teams each racking up at least 10 fouls. The Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks combined for 30 of those penalties in Seattle’s 30-23 victory, underscoring how widespread the trend has become.

Historically, penalty totals tend to decline after an early-season spike as teams adjust to new rules or enforcement priorities, but if this season follows a different pattern, it could set records for the most-penalized campaign in league history.

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