Officiating continues to be a major issue in the NFL playoffs, with several games raising questions and causing controversy. The divisional-round matchup between the Ravens and Bills on Sunday was no different. The game featured two calls that left both fans and players from both teams upset during the first half of Buffalo’s 27-25 victory.
The first questionable call occurred in the first quarter when the game was tied 7-7. Buffalo had the ball near midfield, and quarterback Josh Allen threw an 8-yard pass to Curtis Samuel on second-and-11.
However, officials penalized Buffalo’s left tackle Dion Dawkins for holding while blocking Ravens pass rusher David Ojabo. After reviewing the play, it was clear that Ojabo had fallen to the ground on the icy Buffalo turf, and there was no evidence of a hold.
As a result, the Bills were penalized 10 yards and faced a second-and-21 at their own 43-yard line, instead of a third-and-3 at Baltimore’s 39. Buffalo failed to get a first down and had to punt the ball a few plays later. The game stayed tied at 7-7.
The controversy didn’t end there. Toward the end of the second quarter, the Bills benefited from another controversial call. This time, officials flagged Baltimore cornerback Tre’Davious White for pass interference during a pass attempt to Keon Coleman. However, it was White who was shoved to the ground during the play.
White was covering Coleman on a deep pass down the left sideline. The two were fighting for position as Allen threw the pass, and Coleman pushed White to the ground by his helmet. The pass ended up incomplete.
Given that both players made contact, the officials could have chosen not to call anything and simply moved on to the next down. Alternatively, they could have called offensive pass interference on Coleman for the shove. However, the officials decided to call defensive pass interference on White, which was a surprising choice.
This penalty gave the Bills a first down and an 18-yard gain to the Ravens’ 12-yard line. Had there been no penalty, the Bills would have faced a fourth-and-5 at the 30-yard line, which could have led to a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Tyler Bass in tough weather conditions. Instead, the Bills went on to score a touchdown on the next drive, pushing their lead to 21-10.
Despite the questionable calls, the Ravens managed to make it a one-score game in the second half. However, Buffalo held onto their lead, partly due to a late drop by Ravens tight end Mark Andrews on a two-point conversion attempt that could have tied the game.
Both teams were affected by controversial calls, but better officiating across the board would have benefited everyone involved.
