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- On the Bengals’ first drive of the game, Aaron Donald may have been lined up offside.
- If the Rams defensive tackle had been penalized, the Bengals would have still had life and a fresh set of downs.
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Aaron Donald had an unbelievable end to a career season on Sunday. The 30-year-old, eight-year NFL veteran wreaked havoc throughout the entirety of Super Bowl LVI and finally got his ring.
However, Cincinnati may have been screwed on their first drive of the game. After an eight-yard pass to Tyler Boyd and a one-yard run from Joe Mixon, the Bengals faced 4th-and-1 from the 49-yard-line.
Head coach Zach Taylor chose to go for it but it was unsuccessful.
Before the play, the referees appeared to miss an offside penalty that would have given Cincinnati a fresh set of downs. Donald looked like his head was over the football before the snap.
Take a look:
Donald offsides on the 4th and 1. They usually give you a warning the first time, but this one, I would’ve called. Head clearly across the line pic.twitter.com/yEdVSNpQC1
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) February 13, 2022
Here’s another look:
Feel like Aaron Donald might’ve lined up offside on the fourth-and-1 but what do I know??? pic.twitter.com/ZHGWBcyy1H
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) February 13, 2022
And here’s what it looks like more scaled out:
https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1493009099537141763?s=20&t=-aaI89ZaoISJj68XQunk8w
Now, it could have been the angle, but he looks about as offside as can be.
In most instances, as Schwartz said, the officials will give a player a warning that he is lined up offside before calling him on it. On this play, though, it was egregious.
In the end, it may not have mattered. Donald lived in the Cincinnati backfield all night and absolutely dominated the Bengals’ lineman on two 4th-and-1s.
But— he may have been offside on the first. Cincinnati may have been screwed on the first drive.