The Buffalo Bills beat the New York Giants 14-9 on “Sunday Night Football” following a controversial final play in the end zone at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.
The Bills failed to connect on a third-down pass play at the Giants’ 36 that would have iced the game. On top of that, kicker Tyler Bass missed a 52-yard field goal attempt for his second miss of the game. That gave the ball back to the Giants at New York’s 43 with 1:24 left.
The Giants only had one timeout left and moved the ball to the Buffalo 9 with nine seconds left after a Tyrod Taylor scramble. The Giants then threw into the end zone on 3rd-and-4 from the Buffalo 9, and the Bills were called for pass interference committed as Darren Waller was going up for the catch.
The Giants then got an untimed down from the 1 and again threw into the end zone for Waller. Taron Johnson was all over Waller and held the Giants tight end, but no infraction was called that time.
NBC’s crew later talked about the play and debated whether pass interference should have been called for a second time in a row.
Should the Bills have been called for holding on the last play (a pass in the end zone to Giants TE Darren Waller)?
NBC #SNF rules analyst Terry McAulay talks it over with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth. 🏈🦓📺🎙️ pic.twitter.com/gDq0cFH8tg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 16, 2023
The back judge determined Waller was not materially prevented by Johnson’s contact from making the catch. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth (and probably every Giants fan) felt otherwise.
The result was the Bills barely squeaking out a 14-9 win over a 1-5 Giants team.
