The 12 most unfair calls of the 2019 NFL season

See the worst officiating blunders of the NFL season.

It’s been a bad season for NFL referees, who have found themselves at the center of some of the biggest games of the season. Questionable or outright blown calls have changed the result of several games this year, and there hasn’t been a week all season where officials aren’t getting roasted on Twitter.

We scoured the internet to find the worst calls of the season – and came up with a very long list of infuriating decisions. All calls on the list are presented chronologically.

1. Roughing the passer call sets up Bears’ game-winning drive (Week 2)

With the Broncos clinging to a 14-13 lead on the Bears, Mitch Trubisky was left with just 31 seconds to march his team into field goal range for a potential game-winning kick. On the very first play of the drive, Denver’s Brandon Chubb got to Trubisky as he was throwing, and earned a stunning roughing the passer call that gave the Bears a free 15 yards. The Bears later converted on a 4th-and-15 play, allowing Eddy Pineiro to kick a 53-yard game winner.

2. Refs blow play dead, rob Saints of fumble recovery TD (Week 2)

Rams QB Jared Goff was hit as he threw and fumbled the ball – though at full speed it looked very close to an incomplete pass – and Cam Jordan scooped up the ball and ran 89 yards for a touchdown. Jordan’s TD never counted, however, because officials’ blew the play dead on the field, apparently sure that Goff’s arm was moving forward. Replay would prove this to be a terrible mistake, and officials seemed to make more of an effort to let plays continue after this debacle.

3. Refs miss the most obvious facemask of all time (Week 3)

4. The ongoing pass interference review mess (Week 4)

Officials have set the bar so incredibly high for overturning or issuing a pass interference call during a review that the review itself is almost pointless. There are plenty of examples of strange PI replay decisions throughout the year, but Eagles DB Avonte Maddox getting his hand under the facemask of Marquez Valdez-Scantling while his back was turned to the ball is particularly egregious.

5. Phantom hands to the face calls enable Packers’ comeback (Week 6)

Lions lineman Trey Flowers was called for two crucial hands to the face penalties on third down in the fourth quarter against the Packers, but the replays showed that Flowers did nothing illegal, and had his hands on David Bakhtiari’s shoulder. The first penalty bailed the Packers out of a sack, and they went on to score a touchdown on the drive. The second occurred on the final drive of the game, and allowed the Packers to run down the clock to kick a last-second, game-winning field goal.

6. Deshaun Watson has touchdown erased by sack call (Week 7)

7. Refs rob the Lions of an interception in the endzone (Week 7)

It’s been a rough year for Lions fans.

8. Calais Campbell gets called for personal foul without touching Deshaun Watson (Week 9)

9. This truly abysmal pass interference call (Week 11)

Uncatchable ball? Defensive player in perfect position? Contact initiated by the receiver? Clear defensive pass interference, according to the officials.

10. Cowboys get called for “tripping” vs. the Patriots (Week 12)

Needing to execute a two-minute drill at Gillette Stadium to beat the Patriots, Dak Prescott’s offense was undone by a tripping call on a play that would have resulted in a first down. The call backed the Cowboys up to 3rd-and-11 on their own 25, and they turned the ball over on downs to effectively end the game two plays later.

11. Ravens’ Earl Thomas gets unnecessary roughness call on his first career sack (Week 14)

12. Patriots can’t challenge refs’ out-of-bounds call (Week 14)

This one needs a bit of context. With 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down 23-13, N’Keal Harry appeared to turn the corner and complete a 15-yard touchdown catch – but the official at the goal line ruled that Harry stepped out at the 3-yard line. Replays showed that Harry clearly remained in bounds, but the Patriots were out of challenges, and the play was not eligible to be automatically reviewed as it was not ruled to be a touchdown on the field. The Patriots went on to lose, 23-16.

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