The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a missed call to complain about from their final 2-point conversion attempt against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. They have two.
The Bengals scored a touchdown against the Ravens with 38 seconds left and made the decision to go for the 2-point conversion and the lead. Joe Burrow dropped back to pass to Tanner Hudson, and the ball was incomplete. The Ravens won 35-34.
But elsewhere on the play, tight end Mike Gesicki was clearly held. He argued, but the officials never saw it.
Amazon Prime Video also showed what looked like a roughing-the-passer penalty on Burrow. That wasn’t called either. Replays showed Burrow was hit in the helmet, right across the facemask, by defensive tackle Travis Jones, which should have been a penalty.
Prime Video officiating analyst and former NFL official Terry McAulay said both fouls were missed.
“It was clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight, that should have been called,” McAulay said on the broadcast. “And that does look like forceful contact to the head of the quarterback. That’s a personal [foul]. That’s roughing the passer and should have been called.”
Earlier this season, a Thursday night game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams had a blatant facemask penalty that should have been called on the Rams and continued a drive for the Vikings, but officials missed it.
“Too many games end this way,” Al Michaels said on the broadcast after the missed calls that would have given the Bengals another shot at a 2-point conversion. “It’s so frustrating to the fans. So frustrating.”