The BLOWN CALL That CHANGED The 1989 NFL Season | Seahawks @ Bengals (1989)

[@NavyCJ216]

This was also the game Steve Largent broke the all time TD reception record

[@realtyranny3310]

He was one of the best WR ever.

[@CTubeMan]

Largent retired with almost all the receiving records in NFL history. Yet when the NFL Network did its first list of the top 100 players in history Largent was conspicuously absent.

[@pullt]

@@CTubeMan Unless you're gonna put TONS of wideouts on the 100 team, he's just behind too many dudes. Rice, Moss, Hutson, Fitzgerald, CJohnson Harrison, Owens are unquestionably in before Largent. Then there's a huge group of guys he's basically right in a huge group with....Hirsch, Alworth, Warfield, Carter, Monk, AJohnson, Bruce. Hell, you could make a case for a third Johnson lol

[@dutchfan1]

Thanks for mentioning that, I’m a Seahawks fan and I’ve been one since I was in grade school

[@eac1235]

@@pullt Most of the guys you named were part of the pass happy NFL ,the last 22 years in particular.

[@DolFan316]

Fun fact: the '89 Bengals had the exact same regular season point differential as the '88 Super Bowl team.

[@smoothALOE]

I did some research. It looks like one of the key differences between ‘88 and ‘89 was how they faired in close games. In 1988, they were 5-3 in games decided by 7 points or less, but in 1989, they were 2-4 in games decided by 7 or less and they lost another one by 8. Flip that stat around and they’re a 10 or 11-win team.

[@effend446]

@@smoothALOE Could've easily went 13-3

[@kevinramsey417]

Wyche was a dang legend. Too bad he never won a ring, he was a hell of a coach. Note that they didn't start competing with the Lions for biggest laughing stock of the NFL until after he was gone (at least until Marvin Lewis showed up).

[@matthewdaley746]

Marvin Lewis was totally shameless, he should have quit after losing to the Steelers in 2015, he, somehow, lasted one year longer, than, HOFer, Bill Cowher.

[@matthewpulama106]

And even with Lewis, Cincy had an 0-7 run in the playoffs and never got past the wild card round (which as a Cincy fan, makes me angry everytime I think about it). Until Cincy wins a playoff game, that stigma as one of NFL's low-tier teams isn't going to leave soon.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@matthewpulama106 I think Marvin Lewis stayed because he knew he was, probably, never getting another coaching job, and, if any, Karma, exists, he never will.

[@DolFan316]

Wyche wouldn't last half a season in today's NFL without getting cancelled. Bigotry would have nothing to do with it, he'd be fired for speaking out against the vaccine or expressing some other opinion the far left didn't like. He was not a PC kinda guy.

[@adambartel8037]

Once Paul Brown passed, everything just went to hell. Crazy to say that they caught lightning in a bottle with Lewis. He wasn’t a great coach but he was by far the best Bengals coach since Paul Brown stepped down.

[@nasetvideos]

One of your best videos yet--This was outstanding reporting on a story that I remember well. But the detail and comprehensiveness with which you do everything is awesome.

[@1USACitizen192]

Seems the ref was confused as to an actual tackle playing end, but either way 2 men were in motion at the same time. Wyche didn't seem to get much out of a talented late 80's bengal teams, other than in 1988.

[@humbertolucero3630]

You should do a video on the 91 Bengals and how they started going downhill from that year. Despite going 3-13 with a lot of players from the 1988 Super Bowl team. 1991 bengals also lost a lot of closed games that year as well. All your videos are awesome and very informative, great job man.

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Thanks! I sort of have a video on their downfall and their game against the Bills in 1991, where Sam Wyche just melted down: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5TTon1sZ8yJf5Y

[@efinden]

I remember this game because it was Steve Largents record breaking 100th touchdown. I still have it on a vcr tape somewhere in storage. This was the first year I watched football for a full year. I don’t remember the blown call. Probably because I didn’t understand the rules.

[@getbrainseeds]

you don't live in cleveland! i remember this game as a kid lol, good vid

[@jerolddaleske3966]

I watched that game, and being a Seahawks fan I thought it was a screw job by the refs. Terrible call.

[@samuraibeastwarrior2886]

Yea just like week 3 2012

[@TheTexasorbusted]

This was the first NFL game I ever watched and paid attention to since I was only 9 at the time. I learned to be a Bengal fan, it's pretty painful. I vividly remember Sam Wyche's speech. At least they are in the playoffs this year. Let's go win a playoff game please.

[@mikemcdonald6004]

I agree it is painful...

[@gothard5]

Really enjoying binge watching all your Bengals videos.

[@kessel12]

The side judge threw the flag too. So are they saying he threw the flag but since there was no whistle then there was no penalty? And how did they come up with the logic about the guy in the end? No one is allowed to move forward like that before the snap.

[@neildalessandro8196]

This year's Bills (now also 7-6 BTW) losing to the Bucs looks eerily similar now to the 1989 Bengals and this game. Can always count on refs to ruin games and end up favoring certain teams and players.

[@marcus813]

Even if these Bengals got in and had a rematch with the 49ers, I'm not sure it would've been a lot closer than the matchup we got in NOLA turned out to be.

[@matthewdaley746]

It wouldn't have, they were even better the year after, yet, didn't win their third straight, SB, no team ever will, including, Tampa Bay, Tom Brady's great, but, even he won't do that, period.

[@CTubeMan]

I will repeat what others have already said here, but this was the game in which Steve Largent scored his 100th receiving touchdown, breaking the record set by Don Hutson. JG9 shows it at 4:39. Fun Fact, Largent’s last four touchdown catches were on the road. This moment was bookended by two similar calls about which this (all together now) unofficial Official Jaguar Gator 9 historian will remind everyone you made videos: 1. A confusing explanation by future head of officiating Jerry Seeman (who probably got the job because he never blinked) that resulted in a decision that made no sense. This was in a 1988 playoff game between Houston and Cleveland. 2. A 1990 game between the Dolphins and Jets in which instant replay correctly overturned a call on the field, only for the officials to say there was an inadvertent whistle, restoring the call they made on the field.

[@toddbiesel4288]

Was there a video on the 1989 Bills/Oilers game, specifically on the blown call in that game?

[@DolFan316]

Haha you're right, Seeman really DIDN'T ever blink!!!

[@pronkb000]

I'm a Browns fan but that Oilers-Browns call was enforced correctly regardless of how dumb it seems. There was no "continuous action/immediate recovery" rule at the time, so if the whistle blew inadvertently, there was simply nothing they could do. Yes, they blew the call in real time, but in real time it wasn't the most egregiously blown call in history. And furthermore, a few plays after that, the Browns intercepted Warren Moon, and scored a few plays later. Now, if Clay Matthews' fumble recovery is allowed to stand and the Browns score immediately, do they have more time at the end to pull ahead, instead of going for a desperation onside kick? Yeah, maybe...but in terms of horrible playoff-changing calls I honestly think that one's on the low end. It's as known to the extent that it is because of Bob Trumpy absolutely losing his mind in the broadcast booth.

[@RicoBurghFan]

How this channel doesn't have 100,000+ subscribers is beyond me.

[@tombradley37]

Should do the 1998 game between the Seahawks & Jets, that changed that season! And the League brought back Instant Replay, which has been causing headaches since, as well as social media

[@kessel12]

Yep. Seattle missed the playoffs and Dennis Erickson and his staff got fired. Then we can segue to the Fail Mary. It’s funny how much of this stuff involves the Seahawks.

[@matthewdaley746]

Phil Luckett never should have got to that point in officiating, truly.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@kessel12 Yeah, no, Dennis Erickson got fired because he went, 31-33, in four years, and, he was only their coach because he, "won," two, National Championships, (with, Jimmy Johnson's players), to say nothing, of the fact that he was an even worse person, than, he was a coach, simple as that.

[@DolFan316]

*YES!!! THIS ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HAS TO BE DONE!!!*

[@matthewdaley746]

@@DolFan316 Said before, bears repeating, claiming this Game cost Dennis Erickson his job, totally misses the point.

[@royveteto4134]

one can only imagine what jim mora's post game press conference would have been like

[@jeremybiewer5465]

Was just watching a Mora rant today after a scrimmage against the Chiefs in 1989. Absolutely hilarious 😂

[@realtyranny3310]

7:14 David Fulture going all Super Tecmo mode.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

One thing great about watching NFL in the 80s was coaches who could go off and not care what anyone else thought... Wyche, Schottenheimer, Ditka, Burns, Mora, Parcells... Coaches are too damn PC today.

[@eac1235]

It's because the league is so PC.

[@lolol180]

not much has changed in nfl officiating

[@chadwickwhite6107]

SPEAKING of BLOWN CALLS there were QUITE a FEW in today's Bills-Buccaneers game. A LOT of pass INTERFERENCE COMMITTED by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers OFFENSE and DEFENSE went UNCALLED. As far as I am CONCERNED NONE of these REFEREES are even GOOD ENOUGH to be a 39.6. EVERY time they screw up a call the team that they SCREW OVER should be ALLOWED to SPIKE said OFFICIAL HEADFIRST into the ground on a FEW offensive plays.

[@CTubeMan]

Fun Fact: The referee for the game, Bob McElwee, was the referee for both Super Bowls played at Georgia Dome.

[@r.s.4957]

Cincy flinched and entered the neutral zone causing Heck to jump. Could've been half the distance...

[@realtyranny3310]

8:23 Did the ref say that the player on the end of the line "was entitled to move"?!?!?!?! WTF?

[@michaelwyatt1088]

Yes he said that!!! I don’t know where the hell he came up with it!!

[@marcus813]

Since when was that the case? My jaw hit the floor when I heard that line.

[@realtyranny3310]

@@marcus813 I think that's one of those calls/explanations that's reserved for teams like the Bengals, Lions, Falcons and the Washington Generals.

[@jmad627]

Full disclosure, I’m a Seahawks fan. Now I’m not disputing that this was a horrible call. It was obviously a false start, hence the flag. But this was third down. What obviously should’ve happened is they back the Hawks up five yards and reply 3rd down. There’s nothing saying Seattle couldn’t have scored either a TD or a FG to go ahead. In others words, I don’t think the ball placement before the play made that much of a difference. Also, Cincinnati still drove almost the length of the field. So they had their chances to tie, and possibly win the game. So yes it was bad refereeing, but the Bengals failed to execute a couple of crucial plays when they needed it.

[@iamskippy]

I’m a Seahawks fan too but I think his takeaway *and the only takeaway that matters is* 🗣 *WHY HAVE REFEREES HUDDLE AFTER A CALL IF THEY CAN’T GET AN OBVIOUS CALL RIGHT* ❓❗️❓❗️ Refs are the most coddled people in football where *THEY CAN DO THEIR JOBS HORRIBLY… without immediate consequence* … and if *you dare point out their mistakes* _you get penalized_ ❓❗️❓ This is a top 5 worst calls in NFL history moment.

[@jamesgaston2745]

The rule for a bit in the 80s said incited movement was a penalty on the defense for encroachment which wouldn't have a whistle. So when he "whistled" it dead it essentially is a non play

[@danevertt3210]

I don’t understand how you can constantly upload amazing content like this…….I keep waiting for you to run out of stories……but

[@justinjoseph6966]

So great how you sound legit pissed about this 32 years later!

[@DolFan316]

Angry OBJ9 is the best OBJ9 🤘🤘🤘

[@dentonyoung4314]

Even if the person on the end of the line was "entitled to move" (WRONG), it's STILL a penalty because at the snap there are two men moving at the same time. These refs were utterly incompetent.,

[@lordrayden3045]

At least this shows that the modern refs didn’t invent being idiots

[@kevingreen2400]

Add to the point, if you are touching the ground in a three point stance. YOU CANT MOVE, its a false start... the Bengals got screwed.

[@higgy04]

HL 123 (Tom White) became a referee a few years later and Dennis Miller called him Alfred Hitchcock on a Monday Night Football broadcast

[@cube_030]

I think I can see what happened, the HL got way into his own head and messed things up. Few things as background to my thoughts: 1) that the end of the line is allowed to shift after going into a 3-point stance, but the interior line men are not. 2) The end is still not allowed to simulate the stat of the play. 3) The Seahawks had a guard report eligible and line up as an end. 4) An illegal shift is not a penalty until a legal snap of the ball. What should have happened is: prior to the snap the guard- eligible end committed a false start as he came out of his stance as to start the play (and not make a legal shift). The play should be shut down by the linesman and the penalty for the false start should have been called. What seemed to have happened is that the linesman saw the false start, killed the play. No one noticed that he did so as it was really close to the snap. This created a lot of confusion due to the timing. He spoke with the referee and somehow confused the false start for an action simulating the stat of a play vs a false start for shifting as an interior lineman. Since the end was not an interior lineman, he would have been able to do a shift legally (which he did not do, the end simulated the start of the play). Think that it was a guard on the line helped mess this up. Since the lineman shut down the play prior to the snap the illegal shift (that technically did not happen but if you said the end was shifting would have been an illegal shift) did not occur, also the down did not occur. As the penalty for the false start was incorrectly overruled it was still 3rd down and the game continued from that point.

[@ad7837]

Man I love this channel

[@IIseasquareII]

JG9 out here tryna trigger FlemloRaps this morning

[@BradyToGronk]

My dad and I were at this game.

[@bafa7353]

Bengals would have had a shot at beating Denver in the AFC championship but a Super Bowl rematch with the 9ers? That game would not have been close.

[@nicholassmith479]

Happy that there is replay and the league office could flip it back in real time. I would like to hear the opinion of the ref who made the right call but was overruled by the head judge. An inadvertent whistle was a head judge's code to covering up a mistake. It happened a lot. There was a playoff game with Browns verse the Oilers, I believe, that this excuse was used. Rumors were that the refs were paid off.

[@CTubeMan]

I don’t think replay could overturn this decision today.

[@nicholassmith479]

CTubeMan We'll never know.

[@eac1235]

The refs are paid over 100 k a year so they do what they are told by the league. There is a certain team and QB who will remain nameless that have benefitted from more BS calls and more importantly no calls that have resulted in success never seen before. I'm glad I have given up on this WWE style scripted crap.

[@samstan4462]

Great video

[@JoeBatson]

33 years later the Bungles got their fluke super bowl run thanks to a ref blowing a play dead but not sticking to it

[@mrceleb2006]

Referee in that game was Bob McElwee!

[@organizedconfusionkd]

This would never happen to the the luckiest team and NFL darlings- the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[@lamontbradford4630]

THE NFL DARLING IS TOM BRADY. NFL'S GREAT WHITE HOPE

[@maxxedout2020]

Jesse James' catch that didn't survive the ground would beg to differ.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@lamontbradford4630 Yeah, no, The NFL's Darling doesn't lose, two, SBs, to, Eli Manning, and, a third, to, Nick Foles, blood simple.

[@jasongCLJ]

the Pittsburg Princesses. and Brady ? pfff yea that critter is obviously a ghey luciferian sell out gremlin.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@jasongCLJ Time, seemingly, forsaken, amazing.

[@elfegomoore500]

Uhhhgggg i REMEMBER that game... I wish you would do a video on the 1991 Eagles. Their defense was historical.

[@matthewdaley746]

Their offense was submarined by injuries, a really, unfortunate, predicament.

[@pronkb000]

FootballOutsiders' advanced stats say that the '91 Eagles are the greatest defense of the period they have (which I think goes back to 1983 at the moment). Better than the '00 Ravens, better than the '85 or '86 Bears (FO has the '86 Bears D as better than '85, IIRC), better than the Legion of Boom, better than everyone else.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@pronkb000 Weren't in Playoffs, anyway.

[@mrmonty86]

That was the beginning of the end of the Sam Wyche era.

[@realtyranny3310]

Wyche's team made the post season the following year, 1990, and won in the first round. The beginning of the end of the Wyche era was when Paul Brown died in August 1991. Wyche knew that his stupid son .... 1) didn't like him 2) wanted to make all of the team's personnel decisions despite the fact that... 3) he was a clueless, tightwad jackass. Paul Brown was a tightwad jackass, but at least he wasn't clueless. Wyche loved coaching in Cincinnati, but he knew that the new team owner (Mike Brown, Paul's son) just needed a bit of an excuse to fire him. That aggravating circumstance contributed to his Monday night (vs. Buffalo Bills) meltdown later in the '91 season. It was unfortunate b/c Wyche was one of the most innovative, entertaining coaches ever, while Mike Brown is.....well forget it.

[@CZECHMATE650]

This is similar to the Jessie James not a catch or TD but the Steelers get the ball on the 1yrd line after it was "Not a Catch"??

[@jasongCLJ]

Its spelled SteAlers . They are all ghey sell outs.

[@samuraibeastwarrior2886]

I not shock it always a blown call game when playing the Seahawks example 2012 Failmary

[@MichaelPiz]

Officiating mistakes always infuriate me, no.matter which side they affect. When I played back in the day, no matter which sport it was, I hated losing due to officiating and I hated winning due to officiating just as much - I want games decided by the players.. Watching this moronic call got my blood boiling.

[@matthewdaley746]

The Bengals were cursed, but, they lost to an even worse 49ers team the year before, they seriously weren't winning against them, in 1989, nobody was.

[@gabriel-1957]

If you watch it very slowly Michael the defense of tackle in Cincinnati moved first👍🏽

[@matthewdaley746]

​@gabriel-1957 Disasters often are unpredictable.

[@stkelly52]

The decision is easy to understand. The officials ruled that as an end, the player in question is allowed to go in motion. While this was initially called (and blown dead) as a false start, he was overruled, thus no penalty. But what about the two men in motion? Why wasn't that called? Because the play was blown dead prior to the snap. The snap literally never happened; thus the two players were not in motion when the snap occurred. And just because the mics didn't pick up the whistle doesn't mean he didn't blow it. Now I know that ends are allowed to go in motion, but I know that they can also be guilty of false starts. I don't know where the line is between the two, but this looked like a false start to me.

[@justinmelendez3760]

i was confused by this video because there isnt really a blown call here

[@dc1397]

My guess is Bengals vs Cardinals in this year's Superbowl.

[@matthewpulama106]

I'd watch the hell out of that!

[@DolFan316]

Bengals just better hope they make the playoffs, right now that's far from certain.

[@lordrayden3045]

Wyche was more composed than I’d have been

[@scottconner7930]

32 Years Ago

[@daviddring9341]

Wow, what a shambles of a call. I am a Seahawks fan but there’s no denying that absolute mess of a call. Not as bad as the Vinny Testaverde call against my boys, but still bad enough. 😮

[@smoothALOE]

That’s one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen. Cincy has had so much bad luck over the years. This is a shining example.

[@BazookaToe]

The officials would make everything ok again 17 years later by screwing Seattle in their first Super Bowl appearance against the Stealers.

[@realtyranny3310]

That was rigged intentionally.

[@jerolddaleske3966]

To this day I call them the Stealers.

[@johnguedel7119]

That is true….But that doesn’t help the Bengals

[@andrewgrove1691]

@@jerolddaleske3966 whatever

[@jerolddaleske3966]

@@andrewgrove1691 only people who don't think that game was seriously messed up are steelers fans.

[@dgendvil]

Both better teams than the Cowboys that year, which only went 1-15.

[@gabriel-1957]

If you watch the play very carefully there was an encroachment buy Cincinnati watch it very slowly a defensive tackle on Cincinnati moves first! Therefore it should've been encroachment by Cincinnati👍🏽

[@diaz5292]

Fixed. Fixed. Fixed. "Working as intended."

[@cdprince768]

The referee's explanation made no sense. The man at the end of the line may have been eligible to go in motion, but no player is ever allowed to lunge toward the line of scrimmage prior to the snap. This was the most the infuriating season I ever had as a Bengals' fan. So much talent and promise wasted by erratic play and of course this call.

[@ThomasSpooner-f7d]

So you do some of these and im reminded of a play in the 1988 wc between browns and oilers. 4th quarter. Moon throws from his 6 to Pinkett at the 4 who drops it. Clay mathews picks it up and runs it in for a td. Officials say a whistle blew, but the announcers replay it with sound and there's no whistle. Bob Trumpy loses his mind. Browns lose by 3 and go on to lose to the bills in the frank reich comeback game.

[@ThomasSpooner-f7d]

Oh yeah, snd Marty schottenheimer is forced to resign for not firing his brother Kurt and hiring an oc after the game (I grew up with Brian schottenheimer at my house 4 times a week and heard all about the schottenheimer modell meeting that followed the game)

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Funny you should mention that play, because I did a video on that one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XYpJ6wjqh6hq8si=cSC3vqOp_B-O1OuA One of the worst calls in wild card history

[@gilbertgiles]

Not the worst. Do the Jets Bengals game in 1973.

[@john-hill]

This is one of the worst calls ever lol

[@mmfairhill]

This horseshit still shows that the refs bet on the games then as now

[@DaejinTye]

It was a blown call, and there was a penalty but by the rules (unless they were completely different back then) it'd have to be offsides, since the Bengals player came across first, before the Seahawks lineman moved. At that point, it's considered a reaction from the lineman and the penalty is on the defense for coming offsides first. Easily and clearly seen at 7:33. So, while I agree with their ruling being stupid, I don't think it should've or could've been false start.

[@tedkijeski339]

The Bengals are wearing two different types of the number 2 on their jerseys.

[@AdamJ617]

Think That’s bad, wait til you see what happened to the New Orleans Saints in 2019.

[@matthewdaley746]

They wouldn't have beaten the Patriots in, the, SB, anyway, (nor, the earlier year).

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Got you covered: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqvRlWpsqs-obKM

[@matthewdaley746]

@@OfficialJaguarGator9 All points are correct.

[@happywrenching33]

Looked like a neutral zone infraction to me.

[@codynatof5901]

Very similar

[@jasongCLJ]

Bengals fan ay ? There was obvious bias when you said either way it looks good for the Bengals. Everyone could see that one way or another the Seahawks were going to score anyway ... and theres not much time left .. and the Bengals were not going to score again so ~ actually the game was pretty much over

[@16ktsgamma]

Seahawks take advantage of blown calls, who knew.

[@jasongCLJ]

Yea i think that was the first time the Seahawks seen a bad call go thier way 🤔. As far as i know they didnt see it happen again until about 2010 + .. and shortly after that the burden was lifted and they were no longer scapegoats of the nfl and were alloWed to win .. once i saw that i knew they were about to steamroll over everyone .. what was that like 2014 or somewhere around there. I retired from being a sports guru so i dont remember all the dates exactly.

[@brianbachmeier34]

In 1989 the Bengals were 5-1 against their division and still were only 8-8.

[@marcus813]

Yet the Steelers' AFC Central record was dreck and they had to do nothing more than beat my awful Bucs in the frigid season finale on the road to make the playoffs. Strange stuff.

[@Venom3254]

Reminds me of the 2010 Raiders, they went 6-0 against the AFC West and ended up 8-8

[@GarrettCRW]

This wasn't even the wildest situation that the ref, Bob McElwee, got into around this time: he was the referee for the second half of American Gladiators' first season (which aired in the spring of 1990), and the word is that he was chased around the studio by one of the Gladiators, Titan, after a questionable call on McElwee's part. Neither Titan nor McElwee returned for the second season in the fall of 1990.

[@erinmsomers]

Is this for real

[@TheStevehuff]

The Bengals are always getting hosed on bad calls. And wasn't that call on 4th and goal? Which have been called correctly turned the ball over to the Bengals?

[@gabriel-1957]

I watch this 10 times Cincinnati should've been penalized for encroachment watch it very slowly!

[@eac1235]

This is an early version of how the NFL controls the product on the field through the refs. Remember at the end of every broadcast they say "this has been an NFL production " .It is an entertainment industry and production by an entity that is protected by the anti trust exemption. Plain and simple it allows the league to push a narrative and achieve a result it wants and it's very legal for the NFL to do this. Most games are legitimate but a great many are slanted the way the league wants. Everyone should read the books by Brian Touhy.....The Fix is In, Larceny Games and The Fix is Still In......

[@giorgiogazzola5972]

Call made no sense

[@thomasn3882]

Changed the 1989 season? Stop being silly. I bet many teams could site a moment like this in just about any season. Much ado about nothing.

[@effend446]

Lost 4 games by an average of 7 points or less. Throw in the Viking finale when the Bengals lost by 8, the Bengals could have easily finished the 1989 season 13-3 (and the #1 seed in the AFC). As good as the Bengals offensive and defensive units were in 1989, they weren't without their flaws. Bruce Coslet's offensive playcalling was suspect at times. Dick LeBeau's zone-blitz defense was prone to missing tackles.

[@bafa7353]

Bad call. Bengals still could have made the playoffs with a win over Minnesota in the season finale.

[@lesliebell4189]

Bengals fans were chanting BULLS**T!

[@samuraibeastwarrior2886]

My Packers were Victim of a blown call by the Seattle Seahawks back in 2012 and it still piss me off Fail Mary is the worse call in NFL History

[@gordons-alive4940]

This might be even worse, actually. Stopping the play because of a false start, but not enforcing the penalty? So the two worst calls I've seen now involve the Seahawks.

[@samuraibeastwarrior2886]

@@gordons-alive4940 lol

[@kibitznec700]

Que blown call ni what blowm of the krajo

[@bubbafug00gle51]

Usual mountain out of a molehill bullshit. If they counted the penalty it would still be third down, so Seahawks would have a crack at it from the 6. If they didn't get the TD then the Seahawks kick the FG and win the game 20-17 instead of 24-17. In case you don't believe there was a penalty called, Don Criqui says "here's a marker in" on the play-by-play. Also, you can see the ref lift his arm to toss the flag when they show the tight sideline replay where the false start is shown at 7:37 in the video. It is not unheard of (boo, pun!) for a whistle to be inaudible and it used to be common in cold weather games (not saying that happened, just a possibility). It sucks that the refs failed to mark the penalty, but it's really a small deal that was very unlikely to have changed who won.

[@thatsmrtguy4935]

The Rich Kotite (or I guess Rich Kotites) of referees

[@gabriel-1957]

I should work for the NFL👍🏽

[@andrewgrove1691]

bad call!!

[@jmwjag]

Gosh, a missed 5 yard penalty. It must've changed the entire 1989 season?! Nope. It must've changed the outcome of the AFC?! Nope. It must've guaranteed Seattle would score. Nope. Last time I'm watching this BS channel.

[@jasongCLJ]

exactly. waaaaay over hyped. The Seahawks were going to score regardless , and Bengals werent.

[@johnbrowntheprophet]

OK.

[@Rantman9]

If one play was all that mattered, then there's no reason to play the entire game. If the team had played better, then ANY "bad call" wouldn't make a difference

[@realtyranny3310]

In something as competitive as the NFL, where all the players are the best in the world at what they do, the margins are slim. Giving a team a gratuitous extra down at the goal line easily tips the balance.

[@MichaelPiz]

That's true if the officiating is perfect. In _that_ case, no single play makes a difference. (That's why I say kickers don't "lose the game" by missing last-second field goals.) But, at the professional level, precisely _because_ all the players are at that level, a bad call like this can easily tip the outcome. Think about it: a perfectly played game between equally matched teams, perfectly officiated except for just one bad call. That can make all the difference.