The Baltimore Ravens were called for a key penalty early in their game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it appears the flag may have been thrown on the wrong team.
Cincinnati had 4th-and-goal from the Ravens’ 2-yard line early in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Joe Burrow threw an incomplete pass over the head of running back Chase Brown, but the Bengals were given an automatic first down after cornerback Brandon Stephens was called for a hold on Ja’Marr Chase.
But was it really a hold? Replays appeared to show that Chase pushed off of Stephens. Not only that, but Chase got his hand into Stephens’ facemask and could have easily been called for illegal hands to the face.
Refs throw a flag for holding on the Ravens on a Bengals 4th down and give the Bengals a fresh set of downs. #CINvsBAL pic.twitter.com/K0MZ4lrmJi
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) November 8, 2024
At the very least, there should have been no flag. Chase was the one who extended his arm as he changed directions. There may have been a slight grab from Stephens, but it came while Chase was pushing off of the defender’s face.
Brown scored a rushing touchdown on the following play. What could have easily been a turnover on downs ended with an early 7-0 lead for Cincinnati.
