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The Cincinnati Bengals had been driving deep into Las Vegas Raiders territory within the second quarter of their first spherical sport within the 2022 NFL Playoffs when a controversial play swung the tide of the matchup.
On a third-and-four play contained in the purple zone, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow rolled to the appropriate sideline to keep away from the go rush and fired a bullet into the tip zone caught by Tyler Boyd. It appeared that Burrow might have stepped out of bounds earlier than the threw the go, however the play was dominated a landing on the sector. A replay confirmed Burrow wasn’t even near stepping out of bounds earlier than he threw the go.
There was just one downside: an official blew his whistle whereas the ball was within the air. By rule, the play must be lifeless and the down must be replayed due to the inadvertent whistle. As an alternative, the landing was in a position to stand, and the Bengals took management the sport.
It’s straightforward to listen to the whistle simply earlier than Boyd caught the ball in the long run zone. It’s not just like the Raiders stopped taking part in after they heard the whistle, however the rule is the rule, and the rule states the play must be lifeless on an inadvertent whistle.
Former NFL referee Terry McAulay joined the NBC broadcast and stated the down ought to have been replayed becase the ball was nonetheless in flight when the whistle blew. “They will’t have a landing on that play by rule,” McAulay stated.
Right here’s how the rule is acknowledged within the league’s official rulebook:
Rule 7, Part 2 (m):
“when an official sounds his whistle erroneously whereas the ball continues to be in play, the ball turns into lifeless instantly …”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 15, 2022
Continued:
“(3) If the ball is a unfastened ball ensuing from a authorized ahead go, a free kick, a fair-catch kick, or a scrimmage kick, the ball is returned to the earlier spot, and the down is replayed.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 15, 2022
Raiders followers will definitely be upset about this and imagine they received screwed over on a landing throw. If the refs did make the Bengals replay third down and wipe the landing off the board, then the Bengals would have felt screwed as a result of the whistle by no means ought to have blown.
Both manner, this was an enormous name that modified the sport. There’s a situation the place the Bengals would have needed to accept a subject purpose if the play was blown lifeless they usually couldn’t convert on the replayed down.
The fact is NFL refs should be higher within the greatest video games and largest moments. The officiating was tough all through Bengals-Raiders, and this quantities to a severe black eye.
Anticipate a league assertion finally. We’ll replace this story because it develops.
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