25 NFL Officiating Errors That Changed Games

3. Dez Bryant’s Divisional No Catch

Like Calvin Johnson’s infamous non-touchdown on this list, this play came down to another case of egregious referee error when a receiver fell to the ground. In the pivotal waning moments of the 2014 NFC playoff game between Green Bay and Dallas, Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant appeared to have an impressive catch. The fourth-down play seemingly set Dallas up with a first down on the Green Bay one-yard line.

But of course, the ball came loose when Bryant hit the ground and Green Bay challenged the ruling. So a lengthy review ensued, and we all know what happened. The referees ruled the catch as incomplete and Dallas eventually lost the game. However, Bryant’s elbow also hit the ground, which means the play was over and he had made the catch. But the referees ruled he did not complete the entire process, the rule that plagued any and all controversial catches in the NFL at the time.

2. The Tuck Rule

This blatantly missed call will live on in NFL history as one of the top ways referees negatively impacted a pivotal playoff game. The Oakland Raiders came to snowy Massachusetts to take on the New England Patriots in the 2001 Divisional Round. They appeared to have the game won when they forced young, rising quarterback Tom Brady to fumble in the fourth quarter.

But for some reason, the referees ruled the fumble an incomplete pass because of the rarely-seen ‘Tuck Rule.’ Of course, the Patriots went on to keep the ball, drive down the field, and score to win the game. The result led to the launching of the greatest dynasty in NFL history, as the Patriots have won a jaw-dropping six Super Bowls since. It’s impossible to know if all of that would have happened if the correct call would have been made here.

1. Missed Pass Interference

As we mentioned, it’s incredibly difficult to find a play that trumps the ‘Tuck Rule’ as the most blatant example of referee error in the NFL. It may be a bit of recency bias, but a play from the 2019 NFC Championship game has done it. The story goes that Los Angeles Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman got away with one of the most violent instances of missed pass interference in NFL history. Late in the game, he blasted New Orleans receiver Tommylee Lewis while not even going for the ball.

How is this not a flag??pic.twitter.com/9eux632JpH

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 20, 2019

But the referees missed it. The call would have set the Saints up deep in Rams’ territory and almost assuredly given them a win with a trip to the Super Bowl to follow. Instead, the Saints had to settle for a field goal and the game went to overtime. After the game, the referees admitted that they obviously missed the call. This call was so bad that the NFL instituted instant replay for pass interference the next season.