Sunday night was a frustrating one for the Washington Commanders and their fans. The Commanders lost 20-12 to the New York Giants. It’s unlikely that Washington and its fans will forget the controversy surrounding the team’s final offensive play any time soon.
Trailing by eight, the Commanders appeared to score a touchdown with a minute remaining. Washington didn’t tie the game with the touchdown but could have with the ensuing two-point conversion attempt. It never got that far, though, as the Commanders were flagged for an illegal procedure, nullifying the touchdown. Two plays later, it seemed like the Commanders might benefit from a penalty. This time, though, no flags were thrown.
On fourth down, after scrambling around for a while, Taylor Heinicke eventually threw the ball to Curtis Samuel Samuel. New York cornerback Darnay Holmes was defending Samuel on the play. There was a lot of contact keeping Samuel from catching the ball. Despite that, pass interference was not called.
Part 2: Pass interference is not called on fourth down. The pass falls incomplete and the Commanders lose a tough one. pic.twitter.com/SF1BZ9XIlc
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) December 19, 2022
Referees frequently undergo heavy criticism when they make (or in this case, don’t make) controversial calls. Sunday night was no different.
Football fans were clearly unhappy with the no-call.
If this isn’t pass interference. Then there is no such thing. pic.twitter.com/m9zVGqe6ry
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) December 19, 2022
Correction: that is pass interference three or four different times. https://t.co/KWE8cJJ20m
— Jeff Ermann (@Jeff_Ermann) December 19, 2022
Yeah…with pass interference https://t.co/zV0ZfDaTbg
— trey wingo (@wingoz) December 19, 2022
Ridiculous that Darnay Holmes wasn't called for pass interference on Curtis Samuel in the end zone. #Commanders' weren't good enough, but that was a horrendous no-call by the officials.
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) December 19, 2022
So NFL officials simply are too afraid to call pass interference in the final seconds of games anymore? It’s rather gutless, isn’t it ?
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) December 19, 2022
This is SO obvious how can a $15B business miss this defensive pass interference in a game with the biggest swing in playoff odds of the season pic.twitter.com/KSO2gxVK6w
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) December 19, 2022
This game’s importance on the NFC playoff race can’t be overstated. New York and Washington entered Sunday night’s game with matching 7-5-1 records, with the tie coming against each other. The win not only moved the Giants a full game ahead of the Commanders but also gave them the tiebreaker.
Washington still holds the final playoff spot in the NFC but is only a half-game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions. The Commanders also have a tough finishing schedule, as they’ll be on the road against the San Francisco 49ers — who have clinched the NFC West and are 10-4 — in Week 16, Washington will then finish with home games against the 6-8 Cleveland Browns in Week 17 and the 10-4 Dallas Cowboys, who are also playoff bound, in Week 18.
So, while this ruling didn’t knock the Commanders out of the playoff picture, it did make things a lot more difficult for them.
