Jerome Boger and his officiating crew made a major mistake during Saturday’s Las Vegas Raiders-Cincinnati Bengals playoff game, and the blunder may prove costly for them.
The Bengals were awarded a touchdown late in the first half of their Wild Card win over the Raiders on a play that should not have counted. An inadvertent whistle was blown in the middle of a third-down play in the red zone before Tyler Boyd caught a touchdown pass from Joe Burrow (video here). By rule, the down should have been replayed due to the whistle, but the officials allowed the TD to stand.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Boger and his crew are not expected to officiate another game this postseason. The NFL has a grading system for officials, and Boger and his crew are unlikely to receive high marks for Saturday’s performance.
While the NFL typically has officials from the Divisional Round work the Super Bowl, the grades officials receive are a factor in determining who gets the big game.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor seemed to make light of the huge error, which makes sense considering it went his team’s way. The Raiders were far less enthused.
Boger’s reputation around the NFL does not appear to be all that strong at the moment. That became evident with the way one executive reacted to Saturday’s mistake.
Photo: Oct 29, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; NFL referee Jerome Boger (23) during the game of the Indianapolis Colts against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
