A great game ruined by the officiating has been this NFL season in a nutshell
As a neutral football fan, the first 58 minutes of this game were some really good football; my friends and I were discussing this game as one of the best Super Bowls of all time.
Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes showed why they’re the two best quarterbacks in the game, going blow-for-blow on all fronts. Jalen was literally the entire Eagles offense, with nearly 400 yards of offense and 4 touchdowns to one turnover on a fumble-six. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith showed why they’re the best receiving duo in the league right now.
Patrick Mahomes had been carving up one of the best defenses in the league en route to a 28-point performance so far. Isiah Pacheco shredded an elite Eagles run-defense with his speed and physicality. Travis Kelce showed why he’s one of the most unstoppable receiving threats in NFL history. But best of all, the game was free of official interference. This game was an instant classic; it was everything I wanted and more.
Even the halftime show, headlined by Rihanna and an uninvited guest hiding in her belly made for a really fun halftime show. The set piece was reminiscent of a Super Smash Bros map, and she led an incredible performance that will be remembered as one of the more impressive performances given the circumstances and the artist themselves.
It was too good to be true.
3rd-and-8. Two minutes to go. Eagles are out of timeouts. Patrick Mahomes drops back, immediately gets pressure in his face and overthrows Juju Smith-Schuster by a couple yards. The Eagles bench goes wild, and Jalen Hurts gets ready for his legacy- defining drive.
Flag on the play.
It’s a holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry IV for what looked like an NFL corner playing defense on the receiver, Smith-Schuster.
Five-yard penalty, automatic first down, game over. Chiefs win, 38-35.
All the excitement is gone in Phoenix.
The script was complete.
This is the reality of the NFL right now, unfortunately. We have more talent in the league than there’s ever been before, and some of the most dominant players that the league has ever seen. But it’s all undone by spineless refs.
I wrote an article about the NFL’s referee issue back in December (I suggest you check it out after reading this: click here). I talked about how the refs are controlling games, becoming too soft, too favorable to the offense. But for most of this game, the refs were just monitoring the game; save for one questionably long review of DeVonta Smith’s sideline catch at the end of the first half (which was absolutely a catch and shouldn’t have been overturned), the refs were swallowing their whistle and letting the audience enjoy the two best teams in the NFL go head-to-head at the highest level.
Unfortunately, all of that was left behind. Because for the second year in a row, the refs make a critical call deep in the game that shifts the momentum toward another team so significantly that there isn’t enough time for the other team to take it back.
That’s why this whole season has been highlighted by fans clamoring that the NFL was “scripted.” It was all fun and games at first, but there have been so many ridiculous moments that really question the integrity of the sport. Go back to the AFC title game with the repeat down gifted to the Chiefs, or that absolute flop of a roughing the passer call. Consider the Commanders getting robbed of a touchdown against the Giants on Sunday Night Football on a strange “illegal formation” call and then denying a clear PI call on receiver Curtis Samuel during the same drive. It feels like the refs are “managing” the games for views and to maintain the stars, and it’s so frustrating because it denies us viewers parity and ruins the game. This fantastic Super Bowl, an all-time classic, was done away by the referees making a very soft call that may very well have changed NFL history. We can’t think about the Eagles elite defense playing so poorly in key situations, because it’s joined at the hip with Carl Cheffers marching on the field and diverting the attention to himself. We can’t think of Patrick Mahomes marching down the field, draining the clock and having an incredible 4th quarter. We just think of the men in black and white stripes.
This happened last year, too; Rams-Bengals was going down to the wire, and the Bengals made a huge defensive stop on third and goal. Then came the flags for a very questionable defensive pass-interference on Bengals linebacker Logan Wison while covering eventual Super Bowl MVP, receiver Cooper Kupp. It gifted the Rams a fresh set of downs, four yards closer against an exhausted and disheartened defense. Guess who won the game? Spoiler alert! It was the team that got the call.
I truly didn’t care who won the game, as I love football and I love close games. But my love for football gets tested when these refs, free of any consequence for their actions, are repeatedly ruining the sport with soft calls.
Congratulations to the Chiefs for an incredible season, and congratulations to Patrick Mahomes for winning his second Super Bowl MVP and cementing himself as one of the best quarterbacks of our time.
And the Eagles should be proud of this season; Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith will be a longtime issue in the NFC, and they have the draft capital to sustain this team as they get more experienced. They aren’t going anywhere, and I’m excited for their future.
I don’t actually think the league is scripted, but I do feel like the refs are corrupt. It’s not fair for us, the viewers, and it’s certainly not fair to the players. I just hope it gets fixed soon, because this is a legitimate problem.