(Video) Referees miss yet another obvious facemask penalty that could’ve resulted in Buccaneers’ win against Falcons
NFL officials are being called out for missing an obvious facemask penalty on Falcons that could have resulted in Tampa Bay's victory.
Referees miss obvious facemask penalty on Falcons (Via Atlanta Falcons/X)
The Atlanta Falcons succeeded with their second victory of the season, improving to a 3-2 standing in the NFC South. However, there appears to be some controversy regarding their victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFL officials are being called out for missing an obvious penalty that could have resulted in the latter’s win.
It happened before the game proceeded to the overtime, late in the fourth quarter, when the Bucs were leading 30-27. They first succeeded in intercepting quarterback Kirk Cousins’ throw, which gave them an advantage to finish the game with a triumph. But as the running back Bucky Irving went to pick up seven yards on a second-and-13 play from the Falcons’ 31-yard line, his facemask was grabbed on the tackle.
Finally, when a flag came out, the Bucs and everyone watching the match thought it was for the obvious facemask penalty. Instead, the officials called a holding penalty, which ruined their chance to score a field goal by pushing them out of range, leaving them with a second-and-23 from Atlanta’s 41-yard line.
After the drive concluded with a punt, the Falcons seized the opportunity and scored a field goal, which ultimately sent the game into overtime. If the penalty on the Buccaneers hadn’t been called and they had managed to score a field goal, they would have won the game by six points.
Bucs fall short to Falcons in overtime after controversial holding call
As the overtime began, the Falcons took the lead after winning the coin toss and decided to get the ball first. In just five plays, quarterback Cousins connected with wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge for a game-winning 45-yard touchdown, resulting in a 36-30 victory.
Prior to the flag, the Bucs were sure that they had won the match. That’s why offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs was really upset after the match.
Tampa Bay and quarterback Baker Mayfield couldn’t even get a chance to touch the ball. With this loss, they have now fallen to a 3-2 season standing and are scheduled to face off against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.
Pratyusha Srivastava
(2120 Articles Published)