The 25 Worst Calls By Officials In NFL History That Fans Won’t Forget (What Were They Thinking?)
There isn't anything more exciting than football, especially come playoff time. Unfortunately, the one thing that can ruin all of the fun is a controversial call by the referees. Nobody expects the officiating to be perfect, but whatever the issue, sometimes a team gets screwed out of a game. Here are some of the worst calls in the history of the NFL. Keep reading to learn more.
1998 Thanksgiving Day Coin Flip
Referee Phil Luckett asked Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis if he wanted heads or tails. Bettis called "tails," but Luckett said the running back called "heads." The coin flip landed as tails, and the Detroit Lions took possession of the ball.
Detroit then drove down the field on their way to settling for a field goal and a Lions a 19-16 victory on Thanksgiving Day.
Duke Johnson's "Fumble"
The Cleveland Browns felt certain that Duke Johnson recovered his fumble. The ball bounced back to the running back, who stood up from the pile holding the ball in the air.
Line judge Sarah Thomas said she saw a Washington player with the ball on the ground before Johnson got up with it. Thus, the ball and the victory went to the Commanders.
Jerry Rice Didn't Fumble
With under a minute to go in the 1999 NFC Wild Card Game, San Francisco marched down the field into Green Bay territory. The receiver hauled in a pass, but fumbled while being tackled to the ground.
However, referee Gerald Austin ruled that Rice was down by contact, but replays showed otherwise. Then, Terrell Owens caught a 25-yard touchdown pass which is known as "The Catch II."
The Tuck Rule
With under two minutes left, Tom Brady dropped the ball after being hit by Charles Woodson in the AFC Championship Game. Walt Coleman ruled that Brady had thrown an incomplete pass because he had started "tucking his arm."
New England would win the game in overtime, and the Raiders went on to be the example of NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2, known as the "Tuck Rule."
The Missed Calls Of Super Bowl XL
The officiating crew, led by Bill Levy, caught heat from fans after a holding call. There was also a questionable offensive pass interference call and a blocked call on Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
Every call in this game seemed to go against Mike Holmgren and the Seahawks.
Was He Out Of Bounds?
The Houston Oiler receiver was denied a chance at football history when his game-tying touchdown catch was waved off by side judge Donald Orr. Orr believed Renfro didn't get both of his feet down inbounds.
Because of this, the Oilers ultimately lost to the Steelers, 27-13, in what could have been Houston's first trip to the Super Bowl.
The Snowplow Game Of 1982
With less than five minutes to play with the score still 0-0, the Patriots drove into position for a 33-yard field goal attempt.
Then, Patriots coach Ron Meyer ordered the snowplow operator to clear away the snow-covered turf so John Smith could kick off a clean spot. Smith made the kick, the Patriots won 3-0, and an infuriated Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula was left to sulk in the snow.
Hochuli Blows Play Dead
The Denver Broncos were at the San Diego Chargers one-yard line in the game's final minute. Jay Cutler dropped back to pass, but the ball slipped from his hand with a Chargers player recovering it.
Referee Ed Hochuli ruled the play as an incomplete pass, but instant replay said differently. It showed that a fumble call should have been made, but the Broncos retained the ball at the 10.
The Call That Didn't Happen
As the Saints were driving to the red zone on third down, the refs missed a PI call that would've changed the game.
The Saints should've been awarded a first down which would've put them in a position to win it all. The Rams ended up winning in overtime.
2002 NFC Wild Card Game
The controversy between the 49ers and Giants arose during a botched Giants field goal attempt. Holder Matt Alan tried to pick up the bobbled snap and throw a pass to Rich Seubert.
The guard would be knocked down before the pass, setting up for a pass interference call. The referees called a penalty on the Giants. The next day, the NFL announced the officials blew the call, even after they knew Seubert was an eligible receiver.
The Bert Emanuel Rule
In the 1999 NFC Championship Game, Tampa Bay was looking at a go-ahead score. Quarterback Shaun King hooked up with wide receiver Bert Emanuel for a diving catch deep into the Rams endzone.
Even though Emmanuel clearly had both hands under the ball when he rolled over it, officials ruled it as an incomplete pass. Debates about the play resulted in a rule change that clarified what was considered a valid reception.
This Would Happen To The Jets
Austin Seferian-Jenkins thought he scored a touchdown, but the referees came back with a confusing ruling — no touchdown, and it was the Patriots' ball.
Officials overturned the play. They said that Austin Sefarian-Jenkins fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line. He then failed to recover the ball before going out of bounds.
The Replacement Refs
With only one play left, Russell Wilson threw a hail Mary pass in a desperate attempt to beat the Packers. Golden Tate and a Green Bay defender came down with the ball.
The Packers M.D. Jennings appeared to have made an interception. Tate then wrestled possession away from him on the turf. One referee called a touchdown, and the controversial ruling stood after review.
Ruined The Chiefs' Playoff Chances, Then Retired
Referee Jeff Triplette hadn't worked an NFL playoff game in three seasons when he got the call to do the Chiefs-Titans matchup in the 2018 wildcard game.
Thanks to Triplette's premature whistle-blowing on two plays that should've been ruled sacks, this game has been dubbed the "Forward Progress Game." Instead of ruling them fumbles, Triplette ruled Marcus Mariota down because his forward progress was stopped.
Music City Miracle
Controversy arose during a kickoff return from the Buffalo Bills. While the team was in the lead, Tennessee Titans tight end, Frank Wycheck, threw a lateral pass down the field to Kevin Dyson.
Soon, Dyson was running down the field for a 75-yard winning touchdown. The officials argued that Wycheck's pass was legal, awarding the Titans the touchdown as well as the victory.
The Immaculate Reception
In the 1972 AFC Divisional round, the Steelers and Raiders duked it out. With Pittsburgh trailing with 22 seconds left, Terry Bradshaw's pass that was intended for Frenchy Fuqa was knocked away in a collision with Raiders' Jack Tatum.
Franco Harris was in the right place to retrieve the ball and run for the insanely improbable winning score. The catch was technically a double offensive touch, which was illegal at the time.
Pass Interference?
Detroit was holding onto a slim lead with a third and one inside Dallas territory. Cowboys linebacker, Anthony Hitchen, interfered with tight end Brandon Pettigrew, grabbing his arm before the ball got there.
The referee threw a flag, but the call was overruled by head linesman Jerry Bergman. Dallas won the game.
The Jets Scoring A Non-Touchdown Touchdown
In the fourth quarter between the Jets and the Seahawks, Vinny Testaverde tried a quarterback sneak, and he made it in for a touchdown. One referee thought he was in, while the other one thought he was short.
Ultimately, it was ruled a game-winning touchdown. However, the television replay showed that Vinny didn't make it past the goal line and should have never been awarded a touchdown.
The Holy Roller
Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler was about to be sacked when he fumbled the football. Running back Pete Banaszak was the closest to the so-called fumble and pushed the ball ahead of him toward tight end Dave Casper.
Banaszak's teammate knocked the football across the goal line and then jumped on the ball to score a touchdown. Referees stood by their call, ruling the Raiders didn't knock the ball forward.
Dez Caught It
During the NFC Divisional Game between the Packers and Cowboys, Dez Bryant maintained possession throughout the process of going to the ground after the catch. Cowboys fans and many other fans disagreed with the referee's ruling of an incomplete catch.
Almost four years after the incident, the NFL came to a unanimous agreement that the controversial catch should have been ruled complete.
The Calvin Johnson Rule
Calvin Johnson made an incredible catch against the Chicago Bears. As the receiver pivoted to the ground, he put the ball on the ground, and it got away from him. This was well after Johnson had hit the ground, but another referee overruled the initial touchdown call.
Their excuse was that "Megatron" didn't complete the process of the catch. The botched call led to a new rule, clarifying what a catch is, known as the "Calvin Johnson Rule."
It Was The Colts Ball...
Indianapolis opted for a strange kick off return while trailing New England in the third quarter of this game. Colts formation caused chaos among Patriots defenders, but the team wisely kept five men hovering around wideout Griff Whalen.
The move to outsmart the Patriots backfired on Indy. New England went on to win the game.
The Golden Rule
With 12 seconds left, Golden Tate looked to have scored a touchdown which would've lifted the Lions to a win over the Falcons.
There were eight seconds left after the apparent touchdown. After further review, the refs said that he was a half-yard short. With the ten-second run-off, the game was over, and the Lions lost.
Case Keenum's Unsportsmanlike Call
Case Keenum was flagged for taunting the Lions during a 2017 Thanksgiving game.
Keenum took a sack from Ezekiel Ansah near the end of the third quarter. He got up and lightly tossed the ball in Ansah's direction. It was third down, so Keenum's Vikings were forced to punt after the taunting call.
The Zach Miller TD Reversal
The Chicago Bears tight end suffered a life-changing knee injury during a game his Bears were playing with the New Orleans Saints.
Originally, the play that saw Miller almost lose his leg was counted as a touchdown. Then, it was reversed on the field and called a no-touchdown. The NFL proposed new rules not long after the injury, and Miller learned that his catch in the end-zone would've been a definitive TD with these new rules.
Matt Graves
