NFL officiating influenced the outcome of games all year, and it may have just impacted the result of the Steelers-Bills Wild Card matchup.
And it’s only the first quarter.
Down 14-0, and with the game starting to get away from them, Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth caught a pass from Mason Rudolph and tore down the sideline for a 33-yard gain. But, as Freiermuth was tackled to the ground, he fumbled the ball. Initially, it looked like the ball was going out of bounds, and Freiermuth’s attempt to recover it kept it in bounds where a Bills player recovered it.
However, the officials ruled it a fumble out-of-bounds even though the ball never went out of bounds.
This was ruled a fumble out of bounds by the Steelers and upheld after review #PITvsBUF pic.twitter.com/jOkYO6Yqa2
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) January 15, 2024
Buffalo challenged the call, but the officials stood by the ruling despite Buffalo’s apparent recovery in bounds.
Did the play cost the Bills?
It certainly looked like it was about to, but Steelers QB Mason Rudolph threw an interception near the goal line just as it looked like the Steelers were about to cash in.
The score remains 14-0 as of the time of this writing, but it’s still early in the second quarter.