While the NFL claims that it has top-notch professionals donning the stripes on Sunday, the reality is that they are still part-time employees, and more often than not, we see fans who rub players, fans, and even, sometimes, the media the wrong way.
Let’s look back through the years at 10 of the most controversial calls in NFL history!
Which of these controversial calls do you remember the most in NFL history?
1999 NFC Wild Card Game Jerry Rice is “Down”
It isn’t overly uncommon to see star players get the benefit of the doubt on bang-bang calls, but not all situations are created equally, so when it happens with higher stakes—people will understandably find themselves up in arms.
This was particularly apparent back in the day… pre-replay.
Like when Jerry Rice got away with what could’ve been a game-ending fumble.
With under a minute to go in the 1999 NFC Wild Card Game, San Francisco marched down the field into Green Bay territory. The future Hall of Fame receiver hauled in a pass, notably his first of the contest, which was stunning in and of itself… but he coughed the ball up while he was being taken to the ground.
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However, referee Gerald Austin bailed him out by ruling that Rice was down by contact, keeping the 49ers season alive, while all the viewers at home saw replays showed otherwise.
Then… Mere minutes later, Terrell Owens caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, which is known as “The Catch II.” It is amazing how quickly the trajectory of NFL history can change.
Fail Mary
Though it was just in a regular season game, the “Fail Mary” play that took place during the now infamous “replacement referee” era in 2012, will forever go down in NFL history as one of the most controversial calls that the game has ever seen.
The Green Bay Packers were hosting Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in late September. Up until that point in the season, the “replacement referees” had been a hot topic of discussion, as the league was in contentious negotiations with its regular zebras and relying on scabs to do their jobs.
And… well… It wasn’t going great.
But this… this took it to a whole new level.
With the clock ticking down and only one play left, Russell Wilson hucked a desperate hail Mary attempt downfield and. both MD Jennings, the Packers safety, and longtime Seattle wideout, Golden Tate, seemed to come down with it.
Upon further review,. Jennings appeared to have made an interception, then Tate then wrestled possession away from him on the turf, but the official call on the field was made in favor of Seattle, who subsequently took the game 14 to 12.
Not only was it a terrible call, but it struck at just the right time to go viral, as Twitter was becoming an increasingly big part of the discourse around the NFL—and this play and the now iconic image of one referee calling touchdown, while the other waved it off, was integral in speeding up the negotiations between the league and its regular officials.
The Tuck Rule
When NFL fans think controversial calls, especially NFL fans outside of the New England area… The dubious “Tuck Rule” decision that took place during the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game—with under two minutes left, no less, is one of the first plays that comes to mind in the history of the NFL.
So much so that the game is now colloquially known as “the Tuck Rule game” and is almost unanimously reviled because the play itself was so controversial—and, of course, because the call ended up launching the Patriots dynasty as we know it today.
Tom Brady dropped the ball after being hit by Charles Woodson, but official Walt Coleman ruled that Brady had thrown an incomplete pass because he had started “tucking his arm” – a call completely foreign to the game at that time.
The Patriots kept the ball and drove down the field for a game-tying field goal. New England would win the game in overtime, stunning Oakland… and from then on, the Raiders lived on as the sad poster boys for NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2 known as the “Tuck Rule.”
Just a disastrous turn of events across the board.
Saints PI No Call in NFC Championship
The New Orleans Saints and the NFL front office haven’t exactly seen eye to eye over the years… particularly during the Sean Payton era, which birthed the bounty gate scandal and all of that…
So you know that when the League Office comes out and makes an official statement that a call… or in this case—a no-call—was wrong, well, that’s when you know it had to be egregious.
“We understand the frustration they feel,” he said. “Whenever the officiating is part of a discussion, it’s not a good thing. But we also know our officials are human. … We will look again at instant replay; should replay be expanded?”
Granted, he didn’t really do anything about it for the Saints and it took 10 days for him to make a statement… but the implied admission alone is something to behold.
As is the horrendous and controversial call!
The play couldn’t have taken place at a more pivotal moment either!
The Saints were driving to the red zone on third down and missing that PI call, which completely changed the game. New Orleans would’ve been awarded a first down, which would’ve put them in a position to win it all, but instead, the Rams ended up winning in overtime and marched to a Super Bowl where they etched their names in NFL history.
Tough break for the folks on Bourbon Street.
Also Read: 5 Best Teams In NFL History…And The 5 Absolute Worst All-Time That Need To Be Forgotten
Dez Caught it
The “Dez Caught It” play is one of the most controversial moments in NFL history, so much so that it is still talked about today.
Here’s the scene… Mid-January, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 2015…
A heated match-up between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoff game.
The game was late in the fourth quarter, and Cowboys fans rose to their feet in excitement, thinking that wide receiver Dez Bryant had made a game-changing play on fourth and two as he leaped up over Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields.
The referee initially ruled him down at the one-yard line, which put the Cowboys back in the driver’s seat despite trailing 21 to 26.
Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, the refs insisted that Bryant didn’t maintain possession of the ball, which still puzzles fans, media, and players alike to this day. The decision sparked widespread debate across social media, with many arguing that Bryant had clearly caught the ball. The phrase “Dez Caught It” even became a rallying cry for Cowboys fans and a symbol of frustration with the NFL’s catch rules.
Though… when all was said, they were crying over spilled milk—because the call stood, and the Packers went on to win the game.
I suppose that the Dallas Faithful can take solace in the fact that here we are years after the incident, and you will be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t believe Bryant caught that ball.
Holding in Super Bowl XL
The “holding” controversy in Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks is one of the most contentious officiating moments in NFL history. In fact, the entire game was widely believed to be one of the worst Super Bowls ever called by NFL referees.
But there was a pivotal moment that occurred in the fourth quarter with the Seahawks trailing 14-10 but looking poised to take the lead, especially after what looked like a pivotal reception by tight end Jeremy Stevens just short of the goal line.
The officiating crew, led by Bill Levy, caught a ton of heat not just from fans after the call, but even from commentator, John Madden, live on air.
As we alluded to, this wasn’t the only questionable call, as there was a controversial offensive pass interference call as well. It wasn’t just folks in the Pacific Northwest crying foul about the officiating. Most agreed that seemingly every call in this game seemed to go against Mike Holmgren and the Seahawks.
Heck, even Leavy later admitted he missed calls, albeit well after the game was finished. “It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter, and I impacted the game. As an official, you never want to do that,” said the veteran of 15 NFL seasons and two Super Bowls.
Bert Emanuel “Catch”
In the 1999 NFC Championship Game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Los Angeles Rams, eager to advance to the Super Bowl at put their name in NFL history.
They were moving down the field and looking to put the ball in the end zone and notch a go-ahead score.
Quarterback Shaun King hooked up with wide receiver Bert Emanuel for a diving catch deep into the Rams territory.
Even though Emmanuel clearly had both hands under the ball when he rolled over it, officials said the ball’s nose touched the ground and ruled it as an incomplete pass, stunning the fans, players, and commentators.
The craziest part was that this happened with the review process in place after it was ruled a catch on the field.
To see a call like that that was made on the field overturned was honestly stunning—and cost the Bucs a chance at advancing to the Super Bowl.
It was so controversial that it caused the competition committee to take a look at the rule book and put in what is now commonly referred to as “the Burt Emanuel” rule to ensure that these kinds of receptions are ruled as such going forward.
Calvin Johnson Rule
There are few plays more universally reviled than the one that Calvin Johnson made against the Bears during the NFC Divisional Game. It has been over a decade, and folks are still fixated on what should have been an incredible touchdown catch against the Chicago Bears, which was ruled the other way and ultimately cost Detroit the game.
As Johnson pivoted to the ground, he put the ball on the ground, and it got away from him. This was well after Johnson had hit the ground, but that didn’t stop the initial touchdown call from being overruled by another referee because Megatron apparently didn’t complete the process of the catch.
This botched call is another one that was so egregious and despised that it led to a new rule, clarifying what a catch is, known as the “Calvin Johnson Rule.”
Austin Seferian-Jenkins “Fumble”
It was only Week 6 of the 2017 season, so the stakes weren’t massive… But the Jets were in a tightly contested game with their division rival, the New England Patriots, when things went haywire.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins thought he scored a touchdown, but not after the review, during which I’m not sure what the NFL officials thought they saw.
Following the review, the referees came back with a confusing ruling — no touchdown and it was the Patriots ball. The announcers were shocked that the officials overturned the play.
The explanation was almost as controversial as the call itself. This one just made no sense.
1998 Thanksgiving Day Coin Flip
Getting a call wrong during the heat of battle is one thing…
But on a dead ball… in a situation as uneventful as the overtime coinflip… on National Television on Thanksgiving, no less—that is a whole new level of humiliation and controversy.
Heading into overtime, Steelers legend Jerome Bettis was asked by the official, Phil Luckett, a simple question: “Heads or tails?” – to which he gave a simple answer… “Tails.”
Somehow… some way… that got lost in translation, and Luckett told the world that Bettis called heads, giving possession of the ball to the Lions instead, which tee-ed them up to drive down the field on their way to a game-winning field goal and a 19-16 victory on Thanksgiving Day.
Tough scene for the NFL across the board and definitely one of the most controversial officiating errors we’ve ever seen because it was just so blatant.
