(Video) A brutal fight between Ravens and Bills players results in the referee getting knocked out in AFC Divisional fixture
The referee missed holding calls on both Bills and Ravens and then one of the officials got knocked out during a fight in the AFC Divisional game.
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Bills and Ravens players fighting knocks out referee (Image via IMAGO/X)
The AFC Divisional fixture between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens provided ample drama from the start. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbled the ball twice, and Josh Allen scored a touchdown using the tush push, but the eye-catching moment in the first half of the night was the referee getting knocked out.
Even though the turf was white because of the freezing snow, the atmosphere started to heat up and the Ravens quarterback felt the icy wind in his cheeks leading to his second fumble. Shortly after, Jackson turned the ball over, and the Bills took a seven-point lead through Allen’s one-yard rushing touchdown.
The officials were very lenient on the night, letting the game flow instead of throwing flags. As a result, they missed a couple of holding calls, which added to the frustration the Ravens players were going through due to losing the lead early.
Cameras near the end zone caught a fight break out between the Ravens and Bills players. Bills Jordan Phillips pushed Ravens’ offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, initiating the skirmish followed by brief rounds of pushing and shoving. The touchdown referee tried to mediate between the two 6-foot-6 athletes, but a trailing hand knocked him to the ground.
Bit of a fracas developing between Bills and Ravens pic.twitter.com/mY4nUhSJ9I
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 20, 2025
The NFL rule book states that under no circumstances are players to put a hand on the officials. So, it came as a shock when the referee opted against penalizing either of them. On the flip side, the NFL always remains on the lookout for such incidents; it will not surprise anyone if the two players receive hefty monetary losses because of their transgression.
The referee missed a hip-drop tackle on Lamar Jackson
Shortly before the fight broke out between the two sets of players, Lamar Jackson had to digest a bad challenge from Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Jackson was on his way out of bounds when Oliver grabbed him from his waist and yanked him down to the ground, crashing into the Ravens dugout.
Jackson’s teammate quickly shielded him from any injury, while Oliver quickly rushed away before the situation escalated further. Once more, the referee remained a mere spectator and refrained from throwing any flags to penalize the Bills player.
Lamar Jackson gets a nudge on his way out of bounds pic.twitter.com/FXwbRo4mUX
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 20, 2025
Before the game, Oliver praised the 2x NFL MVP for revolutionizing the quarterback spot.
Our coach [Sean McDermott or defensive coordinator Bobby Babich] said something that really stuck with me: ‘He’s like Kobe Bryant… Kobe Bryant’s gonna get his at some point.’ And that was a great analogy. Lamar’s gonna get his at some point. And we know that. And everybody watching knows that.
Ed Oliver said
Despite the praise, once they entered the stadium, Oliver and Jackson became enemies. The winner of the game will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. The Chiefs will play their seventh straight conference title game after they defeated the Houston Texans in the other divisional round fixture on Saturday.
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Ishan Misra
(3051 Articles Published)