NBC Sports
The NFL has released a statement over the controversial erroneous blown whistle in the Bengals-Raiders playoff game, and fans are not satisfied with their response.
On Saturday night, a ref in the Bengals-Raiders game inadvertently blew his whistle while the ball was still in the air during a Joe Burrow TD throw late in the second quarter. The refs allowed the TD to go forward despite the inadvertent whistle.
A whistle was 100% blown while the pass was in the air. If an official did that, this play is supposed to be ruled dead, per NFL rules. pic.twitter.com/PZNAKsnY81
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 15, 2022
Due to the fact that the ball was still in the air when the whistle was blown, the touchdown should have counted.
Rule 7, Section 2 (m):
"when an official sounds his whistle erroneously while the ball is still in play, the ball becomes dead immediately …"
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 15, 2022
Continued:
"(3) If the ball is a loose ball resulting from a legal forward pass, a free kick, a fair-catch kick, or a scrimmage kick, the ball is returned to the previous spot, and the down is replayed."
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 15, 2022
After the Bengals’ 26-19 win, the NFL released a statement claiming the refs allowed the TD because they said the whistle came after the catch.
The refs said the whistle came "after the receiver caught the ball." pic.twitter.com/xZmblLnlAs
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) January 16, 2022
Fans were beside themselves and blasted the NFL for straight-up lying about when the whistle took place, considering there’s video evidence.
You can hear the whistle as the pass is being thrown, though? https://t.co/RNGjE41IkI
— Schlasser (@UrinatingTree) January 16, 2022
Boy, the NFL is lying its ass off about that "inadvertent whistle."
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) January 16, 2022
https://twitter.com/BriL1992/status/1482538654895681536
If only the technology existed to know what really happened… https://t.co/1Zboygna0v
— Melanie Friedlander (@Girlsurgeon) January 16, 2022
But it didn’t??? Do they think video replay doesn’t exist? https://t.co/Zk3N16Rrg6
— Cody Tapp (@codybtapp) January 16, 2022