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Former NFL Referee Calls Out Officials Over Big Mistake They Made On Sunday

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

NFL Referee pointing
NFL referee (Photo via Imagn Images)

A former NFL referee called Sunday’s match officials out over a big mistake in Week 13.

With one final matchup left on the slate, it has been an exciting three days of football so far, starting on Thanksgiving and continuing through Black Friday and, of course, Sunday. 

The New England Patriots will round it off with a game against the New York Giants on Monday night.

As for the recent fixtures, the refs have been accused of getting two significant calls wrong. The ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup between the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders saw former league official Terry McAulay criticize the refs for missing back-to-back calls. 

McAulay, a rules analyst for NBC, put the officiating crew on blast for an incorrect intentional grounding call on Marcus Mariota after the quarterback threw the ball away due to Terry McLaurin slipping and losing his footing late in the fourth quarter. 

“This is absolutely not (intentional) grounding, guys,” he said.

NFL Refs Also Called Out By NBC Announcers

Mike Tirico speaking with Cris Collinswhorth
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth (Photo via NBC Sports)

Right before that play, the wide receiver was called for a false start that apparently was not. The announcers were the ones who were critical in that instance.

“Is he not set for a second?” Mike Tirico pointed out. “No, he is. Wow, I don’t know about that.”

“That’s not a foul,” Cris Collinsworth said. “It’s really not.”

“Unless that’s the wrong number,” Tirico suggested.

“No, it’s right in front of the official, who blew it dead,” Collinsworth responded. “You could see him running in. And yes, there was a moment where he got set, but I don’t think at this point in the game that’s a foul.”

The Commanders suffered a 27-26 defeat in overtime, but who knows how the game might have ended had it not been for those crucial calls.

The ‘Sunday Night Football’ broadcast also left fans worried for Rodney Harrison after he blanked out during the pregame coverage, but he was back to normal by the time the game was done. 

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