NFL Senior VP of Officiating Issues Perplexing Statement on Controversial Bengals TD

The referees blew a whistle mid-play during Cincinnati's late-second quarter touchdown, which should have negated the score.

The Bengals scored their first playoff win in over three decades on Saturday, stopping the Raiders at the goal line with 12 seconds to go to clinch the 26-19 victory. The play on everybody's mind after the game came in the first half, though, when an officiating error gave a big assist to Cincinnati's second touchdown.

On a key third-down play late in the second quarter, Joe Burrow scrambled to the sideline and threw a 10-yard score to Tyler Boyd to take a 20-6 lead. As the pass was mid-air, an official blew his whistle, which should have negated the touchdown.

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After the game, however, NFL senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson spoke to a reporter and told him that the referees determined the whistle was blown after Chase caught the ball. 

“We confirmed with the referee and the crew that on that play — they got together and talked — they determined that they had a whistle, but that the whistle for them on the field was blown after the receiver caught the ball.”

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Anderson confirmed the whistle was blown erroneously and was not a reviewable play. The crew's decision appears to directly contradict the video where the whistle can clearly be heard before Boyd makes the grab. Per NFL rules, the down should have been re-played. Instead, the Bengals got their six points. 

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