re: Not making excuses but...

Well ... both of those penalties that negated the forced punt (it was a ticky tac call) and the block in the back (which was legit) are what the coaches call "effort penalties."

Those are judged a little differently than missed assignments and lack of discipline penalties like false starts and holding - although holding is subjective and only matters when it's too obvious and someone gets caught.

Effort penalties are not acceptable but they grade them differently.