Did You Spot the Controversial Game-Changing Play That Has Bengals Fans Irate?
One critical missed call gave the Los Angeles Rams the break they needed to pull out a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in LA.
With 1:47 remaining in the game and the Rams down 20-16, Los Angeles was trying to reach the end zone on 3rd and goal from the 8-yard line when quarterback Matthew Stafford tried to connect with Cooper Kupp. The pass was incomplete, but a defensive holding penalty was assessed against Cincinnati.
That gave Los Angeles four more tries to score.
But what did not happen on the play would have created a very different scenario.
Multiple members of the Rams offensive line appeared to move before the snap, which should have led to a false start penalty with the play blown dead.
The defensive holding penalty against Cincinnati never should have happened anyway because the officials didn’t call an obvious false start on the entire offensive line. pic.twitter.com/U1itLG7RPA
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) February 14, 2022
Refs continue to put together a disasterclass tonight pic.twitter.com/6O4tnbipRn
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 14, 2022
There was a blatant false start penalty on the Rams before the Kupp holding call, not sure how anyone missed this from the refs to the TV booth.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) February 14, 2022
Had that happened, the Rams would have had to try to score from the 13-yard line with only two chances left instead of being handed the four new tries that were given from the defensive holding call — which many also thought was suspect.
NOOOOOOO!!! NOT A DEFENSIVE HOLD. ROBBERY CALL. HOME COOKING FOR THE RAMS. ABSURD. GAVE THE GAME TO THE RAMS.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 14, 2022
If you’re calling anything here, call a false start on the Rams’ entire O-line. https://t.co/BKnHEJhNHv
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) February 14, 2022
Miss a false start on the Rams and then call a soft defensive holding on the Bengals. Classic @NFLOfficiating
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) February 14, 2022
Alright I’ve tried very hard not to be this guy and I’ve made it about 17 minutes: the 3rd and goal hold call was the second worst call I’ve ever seen as a football fan. The worst was not calling false start on the entire Rams team three seconds earlier.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) February 14, 2022
That was not, of course, the end of the drama.
On the next play, Stafford found Kupp for a touchdown, but that was called back after an offensive holding penalty on the Rams and an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Bengals.
A pass interference call on the next play then set up a 1-yard pass from Stafford to Kupp for what would be the winning touchdown in a 23-20 LA victory.
Although the late-game calls went the right way for the Rams, Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins got away with pulling the facemask of Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey early in the third quarter as the two fought for the ball.
NOOOOOOO!!! NOT A DEFENSIVE HOLD. ROBBERY CALL. HOME COOKING FOR THE RAMS. ABSURD. GAVE THE GAME TO THE RAMS.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 14, 2022
Higgins ended up with not only the ball but a 75-yard touchdown.
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