Make the Call: A Towel, Fake Spike and Altered Outcome
Video 9/12/22
In The 33rd Team's new series Make the Call, former NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino and former NFL head coach Dirk Koetter discuss the most influential and head-scratching decisions made by referees in Week 1. Can a player really be penalized for using a towel? Did the Bengals cost themselves a win by refusing to challenge a play? Should the Browns have lost due to a late penalty that was overruled?
Find out the answers to these questions and more, in the inaugural episode of Make the Call. For reference, here are the plays discussed by Blandino and Koetter, and timestamps for when the discussion happens.
1. Trenton Gill Uses A Towel (1:00)
"Unsportsmanlike conduct. Chicago, #16. Brought a towel out on the field during the dead-ball period and wiped the field down. By rule that's illegal."
This really happened. Penalty took Chicago out of FG range. pic.twitter.com/kjavbZXbMi
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 11, 2022
Unsportsmanlike conduct on Bears holder Trenton Gill for drying the ground with a towel 🤣pic.twitter.com/HiGJ4vNgB2
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) September 11, 2022
2. Why Didn't the Bengals Review This Play? (5:20)
No idea why the #Bengals didn’t challenge here. Clear TD for Ja’marr Chase#PITvsCIN pic.twitter.com/h8M7SnDwSL
— Tony Clements (@TonyCMKE) September 11, 2022
3. Why Was the Flag Picked up in Carolina? (10:17)
The Browns faked a spike and then actually spiked the ball, which is against NFL rules
The refs did nothing about it, and the Browns then kicked the GW FG pic.twitter.com/GAlqn8vPw7
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) September 11, 2022