But the refs!

Continuing with the theme of lazy sports arguments on this page, there’s one that makes me angrier than the rest: blaming the officials for a loss.

You can take to Twitter every week and find thousands of people saying the referees gifted every single team every single game. The hated teams around the NFL (i.e. the Cowboys and Chiefs) are allegedly always getting bailed out by officiating. In reality, this is a coping mechanism fans use when they don’t get the outcome they want.

I get it; bad calls happen, and I’ve certainly been on the receiving end of a few heartbreakers. However, you can always find a few missed or blown calls going the other way. A poorly-timed bad call does not mean that officiating decided the game.

Let’s look at a few examples from this season:

In week 17, the Lions appeared to convert a 2-point attempt that would’ve won them the game in Dallas. However, an ineligible man penalty brought it back. There was video evidence of the receiver, Taylor Decker, reporting as eligible to the referee but the official either did not hear him or chose not to listen. Detroit then lost the game on a errant pass attempt by Jared Goff.

You can say that the officials gave the Cowboys the game, but that would be a lazy argument. On the previous Dallas possession, Tony Pollard had a first down rush that would’ve ended the game, but it was called back due to a tripping call on tight end Peyton Hendershot. The replay showed an attempted trip on Pollard by Aiden Hutchinson, not Hendershot (not to mention that Micah Parsons is egregiously held on every snap).

That same officiating crew (that was rightfully downgraded out of the playoffs) was in Green Bay week 13, where the Chiefs lost on what should’ve been a clear pass interference by the Packers’ defense. However, you can look back earlier in the drive when the Packers were hit with an unnecessary roughness call for tackling a running Patrick Mahomes in bounds.

Just watch the games. It always goes both ways.

Now, please don’t take this the wrong way. This is NOT a defense of NFL officiating. I wholeheartedly believe there are more terrible referees than good ones, and crews such as Brad Allen’s should lose their jobs, not just playoff rights. However, I don’t believe the league is “rigged” or that officials have nearly as much influence on the outcome of games as fans think.