There were some questionable inbounds/out off bounds penalties (Vikings tight end Rhett Ellison's touchdown/not Mut 23 coins touchdown just before halftime should have been an end-of-game touchdown). The play was not as smooth as it should have been. calls for tackles close to the line (seriously, Vikings linebacker Gerald Hodges made contact Dolphins rookie receiver Jarvis Landry decidedly in bounds however was penalized for sending his opponent down). It even had a quarterback fumble ruled an incomplete pass without a review (Big Ben's hands were as empty as a sock for the Chiefs).
There was however one call that was so shocking and I'm hoping the official who made it cannot be permitted to be in the vicinity of any playoff games. The offending call is the ridiculous taunting penalty on Steelers cornerback William Gay after a particularly spectacular, unspectacular play made by Steelers middle linebacker Lawrence Timmons on third down.
Imagine this scenario, the Steelers found themselves up 17-6 in the must-win game with 12:39 left on the clock in the final quarter. Their opponent they were playing, the Chiefs, was facing an uncontested third-and-17 at their 23-yard line. The Steelers were, naturally, played way off the receivers, defending everything deep, and forced Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith to dump the ball towards tight-end Travis Kelce.
Timmons was across the formation, in the coverage area but was picked off and made one-on-one tackle on the open field for an average of two yards. It could have been something that was routine, however it was highly unlikely that Kelce would gain enough yardage to get the first down. If you take a close look at the play, you'll be able to recognize how quickly Timmons was and be able to collect himself to make a solid tackle. This is not routine or simple.
As I can tell one of these morons decided to throw the flag because the thought was that Gay was mocking someone else. Chiefs player, when there was no Chiefs player nearby. All because he was standing in the middle of the field and crossed his arms. Dassit. They all refused to look upwards at the Jumbotron to madden 23 coins cheap see just what kind of call they were planning to make.
