VIDEO: Refs Miss Texans Delay of Game on Huge Overtime 3rd Down Conversion
By Jerry Trotta
If you haven't accepted that highly-profiled NFL bouts are going to be marred by late-game refereeing controversy, well, now would be a good time to start. During overtime of Saturday's Wild Card showdown between the Texans and Bills, the fellas in black and white stripes missed a blatant delay of game penalty on Houston on a crucial 3rd-and-18.
Refs miss a big delay of game in overtime that would’ve made it 3rd and 23 for the Texans, instead they convert with a 19 yard pass and win the game on that same drive #BUFvsHOU pic.twitter.com/UEBolGEs9I
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) January 5, 2020
Folks, the rock was snapped almost a full second after the play-clock showed zeroes.
Of course, Deshaun Watson would convert the third-and-long and subsequently march Houston down the field for a game-winning field goal.
The sad part is that this didn't even mark the first time the zebras blew a delay of game call. Back in the first quarter, they missed an equally-egregious infraction on Buffalo and permitted Josh Allen to call timeout.
Josh Allen calls timeout well after the playclock hits 0 and the refs give it to him anyway #BUFvsHOU pic.twitter.com/cIp42uSPtk
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) January 4, 2020
The only difference between these gaffes is where they occurred in terms of determining the game's outcome.
We don't even know what to say anymore. It's beyond laughable at this rate. Playoff (!) games are being deprived of impartial endings because of fundamental miscues.
When is enough, enough?