Is the National Football League “rigging” outcomes in favor of the Cleveland Browns?
It sounds preposterous on the face of it, but I will admit I questioned the officiating by head referee Shawn Smith and his crew in the final moments of the Browns’ 39-38 win in Indianapolis over the Colts on Sunday.
I certainly didn’t expect a column about fans accusing the league of rigged officiating to appear today. And I didn’t expect to be placing this story myself – joining a chorus of stories in a lot of respected outlets, including Sports Illustrated (at si.com) and Bleacher Report.
A story on athlonsports.com (Fans Are Convinced NFL is ‘Rigging’ Games For the Cleveland Browns – AthlonSports.com) does just that, just note that the way the headline is written, the writer of the story himself – Athlon’s Alex Arend – isn’t making the accusation – that FANS are.
Still, he does make some pretty heavy accusations in the story. “Did the refs change the outcome of Sunday’s game between the Colts and Browns? It certainly seems that way,” Arend wrote.
Without going into detail, Arend references a couple of questionable penalties made last Sunday, Oct. 15, in the Browns’ home win against San Francisco, penalties that allowed the Browns to get into field goal range and hit the kick that ultimately won the game – the 49ers did get into field goal range for a potential game-winner after that drive, but Jake Moody missed the 41-yard kick.
Still, in the 49ers hadn’t been called for those two penalties on the Browns’ drive, the Browns wouldn’t have had the lead to begin with, and the 49ers would still be undefeated.
“The refs have been involved in two straight Browns games now,” Arend wrote. “Both games have resulted in victories for the AFC North franchise.”
On Sunday, it looked even more egregious (Colts charged with controversial penalties late in loss).
With Cleveland inside their 15-yard-line, and the Colts with a 38-33 lead and under a minute left in the game, Indianapolis defensive tackle DeForest Buckner appeared to have recovered a fumble by Cleveland quarterback P.J. Walker, on a sack by E.J. Speed. That would’ve allowed Indy to just kneel and run out the clock. There was no question it was indeed a fumble, but Colts cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. was flagged – late – for illegal contact on Browns receiver Amari Cooper, an automatic first down for the Browns at Indy’s 8-yard-line.
The ”illegal contact” was marginal at best, and it appeared Cooper initiated the contact. But what happened next really sent the conspiracy theorists over the top Monday morning.
Cleveland quarterback P.J. Walker tried to hit Donovan Peoples-Jones in the end zone for the go-ahead score. The pass was over Peoples-Jones’ head – and everyone else’s. Peoples-Jones wasn’t even in position to catch the ball.
But an official threw his flag, a VERY BRIEF conversation was held amongst the officials, and pass interference was called on Baker Jr., giving the Browns a first-and-goal at the Colts’ 1-yard-line. Cleveland’s Kareem Hunt would go on to score on fourth down, giving the Browns the lead.
The Colts got the ball back with 15 seconds left on the clock, but couldn’t get in position to do anything, and the contest was over.
For his part, as you would expect, Baker Jr. disputed the penalties. ““I don’t agree with the penalties at all,” Baker Jr. said. “When those balls are uncatchable, usually they don’t throw those flags out, especially when they’re initiating the contact with the corner. You can put your hands on them, too, as long as you’re looking for the ball. I’m not impeding their force or anything. I don’t know what else I can do better on that.”
And real skeptics might point out that if the Colts hadn’t committed four turnovers in the game, the controversial calls wouldn’t have happened, because Cleveland wouldn’t have been in position to win.
But that’s almost like justifying a crime.
If I buy a convertible, drive to a shopping mall, take the keys with me but leave the top down and it’s hot-wired and stolen, am I to blame for having a nice car?
The NFL needs to at very least address the situation publicly, because several major sports news outlets are questioning their integrity on Monday. And in this case, the questions are most certainly appropriate.
