The Cincinnati Bengals are going to the Super Bowl, but not without a little controversy in their wake.
In their game-winning drive in overtime, set up by a Vonn Bell interception, the Bengals found themselves sitting pretty with the ball at the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-yard line and needing only a field goal to win. They could have centered the ball and tried to put away the Chiefs there, but they instead turned to running back Joe Mixon to deliver another nail in the coffin.
Mixon found enough daylight to gain 13 yards and set up a chip shot for kicker Evan McPherson, but then he celebrated by dropping the ball and pounding his chest. That celebration wouldn't typically be out of the ordinary, but there was a very important detail he, and the CBS broadcast, seemed to miss.
Mixon may never have been touched by a Chiefs defender on his run, up to the point that he let go of the ball. And then a Chiefs player picked up the ball.
The play was blown dead soon after Mixon dropped the ball, but take a close look here and see if you can find any contact between Mixon and the defense:
Joe Mixon fumble goes unnoticed with obvious KC recovery. Andy Reid challenges illegal formation instead. #AFCChampionshippic.twitter.com/ovX11NUc58
— Andy (@Andy_Hayes2) January 30, 2022
I don't think it was illegal formation Reid wanted to challenge – I think Mixon was never touched down, and the Chiefs look to be the first team to recover the ball. #NFLpic.twitter.com/6ocs6h9OlY
— Ryan Greene 📷 (@RyanCBS4) January 30, 2022
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid certainly had questions about the play, as he called timeout to discuss the play with officials. The CBS broadcast didn't understand what was happening at the time, speculating that Reid was trying to nail Cincinnati for an illegal formation, which is not reviewable. Coaches also cannot challenge rulings in overtime.
Reid's arguments went nowhere, and soon McPherson was kicking a 31-yard field goal for the win.
Reid told reporters after the game that the official told him Mixon gave himself up on the run, something you usually see with quarterbacks.
That won't be much consolation to the Chiefs, though not getting the right call on a potentially all-time screw-up was hardly the only reason they lost.
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