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The Buffalo Bills made it out of their Week 6 Sunday night game against the New York Giants with a win, but couldn’t escape the controversy that came afterward.
Many NFL fans lashed out at officials for a series of apparent missed calls that helped the Bills, including what appeared to be a hold on the game-sealing pass breakup from cornerback Taron Johnson. Some fans pointed their ire directly at the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen, accusing the league of giving preferential treatment to the Super Bowl hopefuls.
Final Play Comes Under Scrutiny
After being shut out for three quarters for the first time since Allen’s rookie year in 2018, the Bills came alive in the fourth quarter against the Giants. With the Bills scored two touchdowns and were leading 14-9 late in the game when the Giants drove into the red zone.
The Giants were making a last-gasp throw to the to the endzone when Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard was flagged for pass interference on a pass intended for tight end Darren Waller as time expired.
The penalty gave the Giants one untimed down at the 1-yard line, but Johnson stayed with Waller and broke up a jump ball to the end zone. Many fans believed Johnson should also have been flagged for interference, as replays showed him grabbing onto Waller’s pads and jersey.
The play attracted plenty of controversy, with NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay saying referees should have flagged the Bills on the play.
“In your opinion that does significantly hinder a receiver, I think it does as well,” McAulay said. “He can’t get that hand up, so it does become a foul for defensive pass interference at that point.”
The play also prompted ESPN analyst Pat McAfee to speculate whether the league should make pass interference penalties reviewable, which they were during a brief experiment in the 2019 season.
Fans Also Took Aim at Josh Allen
Though the final play drew most of the attention, it was not the only controversial call that benefitted the Bills in the 14-9 victory. The Giants were also flagged for a roughing the passer penalty in the second quarter on a hit on Allen, a play many believe did not warrant a flag.
Some took aim at Allen personally, saying the call showed that the NFL was giving him preferential treatment.
“The NFL continues to baby Josh Allen,” wrote reporter Marshall Green on X, formerly known as Twitter. “How is this a roughing the passer?”
The Bills didn’t seem to dwell on the questionable calls and unexpectedly close game. Safety Micah Hyde said afterward he was grateful to escape with a win, moving the Bills to 4-2 and keeping pace with the division-leading Miami Dolphins who went to 5-1 after a win over the winless Carolina Panthers.
“Oh, man that was wild,” Hyde said, via The Associated Press. “Fortunate to get the win and yeah survive another week. I know it’s early in the season but you can’t let those close games slip and we were able to get it done.”
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