In the fourth quarter of the AFC title game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, controversy erupted as officials called a play that went fully to completion “shut down.”
On the play that was apparently called dead, the Bengals got a stop on third down and were poised to force a punt that would give them the ball back and have a chance to take the lead.
But official Ron Torbert declared the play “shut down” even though no indication of this was given. Both teams had to come back off the sideline and the Chiefs got to completely re-do the down.
Here’s a look at the fallout from the latest NFL officiating debacle.
Update: Officials explained the situation after the game in a pool report, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:
Pool report on the third down replay. pic.twitter.com/oBn9v7JhVP
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 30, 2023
Sorry Cincy, this is not fair at all
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) January 30, 2023
HOW WAS THAT PLAY "SHUT DOWN"??? KC'S PUNT TEAM HAD ALREADY TAKEN THE FIELD???
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 30, 2023
The #Chiefs got two 3rd downs, got stopped twice, and refs still called another penalty to take it away.
The league must really hates Cincy but come on, you're rigging NFL games now in front of everyone?
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 30, 2023
“Give ‘em another 3rd down” pic.twitter.com/Bhqs5UZMeh
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 30, 2023
The Bengals are called for defensive holding on 5th down.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) January 30, 2023
One of the biggest games of the year and the NFL doing whatever it takes to help the Chiefs.
— Lindsay Patterson (@LndsPatterson) January 30, 2023
Can’t wait for the pool report to say some form of “we see nothing wrong with the call”
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) January 30, 2023
The referee will pay the price for that mess by having to answer questions from one reporter on it, with everyone involved then forbidden from ever talking about it again.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 30, 2023
Good thing that drive ended in a punt or this is the U.S. Senate tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/oBPHbbO3sV
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 30, 2023
They were supposed to run the play clock but not the game clock because 2nd down was an incomplete pass.
The clock operator wound both.
Not sure how they can go back after the play if they failed to notice before the snap, but that's what they did. https://t.co/vHDFmQhz8v
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) January 30, 2023
This is an abject disgrace.
If the play was shut down why did they let it go?
The #Bengals should be outraged. #AFCChampionshipGame— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) January 30, 2023
What the hell just happened? "The play clock was shut down before the play." I have never ever heard that in many, many, many years of covering football. Repeat of 3rd down.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) January 30, 2023
I usually think the officiating evens out, and don’t usually get all over the officials, but how do they let that play finish if it was shut down? That was brutal
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) January 30, 2023
The official who came in to shut down the play was too casual about it. If you're shutting down a play like that you have to be waving your arms, blowing your whistle and sprinting to the middle of the field so that the players, coaches and fans all realize the play doesn't count
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) January 30, 2023
