Bengals fans are livid with refs, Eli Apple over gifting Chiefs do-overs
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 29: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals (R) talks with referee Ronald Torbert #62 and line judge Jeff Seeman #45 (L) during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Bengals fans were furious after a Kansas City Chiefs drive was extended due to a controversial call, and a bad penalty committed by Eli Apple.
The last thing a fan of an NFL team wants is for a shady call to come into play in a pivotal portion of a big game. For those who watched the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Bengals appeared to have forced the Chiefs to punt the ball after successfully stopping them on third-and-nine. But there was one problem. Apparently, one of the referees blew the whistle to signal that the play was dead before quarterback Patrick Mahomes hiked the football. That gifted the Chiefs another shot at keeping their drive alive.
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1619885761997987841
Then, on the replayed third-and-nine, another Bengals stop was overturned, this time due to cornerback Eli Apple committing a holding penalty. That gave Kansas City an automatic first down.
Let’s just say that Bengals fans, NFL fans, and those in the media were perplexed by what went down on that drive in the fourth quarter.
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It looked like the Bengals were entering unfavorable territory. Not only the questionable play call, but the mistake from Apple, who has gloated on social media after big wins by the Bengals, with one of the most notable instances being their Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills.
Luckily for the Bengals, this drive didn’t result in any points being scored by the Chiefs. After being given a new set of downs, Kansas City did gain 16-yards on the next play, but were forced to punt the football back to Cincinnati four plays later.
No fan wants to see the referees get so involved near the end of a game. Let alone the Conference Championship Game with a spot in Super Bowl 57 on the line.
