Yahoo Sports Should A.J. Green have been called for late pass interference that likely cost Bengals a win?
Joe Burrow came oh-so-close to recording a win in his NFL debut.
A pair of late breaks went against the Cincinnati Bengals and their rookie quarterback in a 16-13 loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kicker Randy Bullock missed a game-tying 31-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds remaining.
One play earlier, wide receiver A.J. Green appeared to haul in the go-ahead touchdown from Burrow to cap a would-be heroic debut for the No. 1 overall draft pick. Burrow connected with Green on a curl route in the front-right corner of the end zone on first-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
But Green drew a flag on the play for offensive pass interference. The official ruled that Green pushed off of cornerback Casey Hayward in order to get open.
The call pushed the Chargers back to the 13-yard line, where Bullock would miss the field goal attempt on the next snap.
Was it the right call?
It was a borderline call for sure. By the book, it appeared to be the correct call. It’s also one that definitely doesn’t get called every time and stands out considering the make-or-break game situation.
Former NFL official and current CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore was on board with the penalty. He explained that as soon as Green extended his arms to create separation, he’d committed an infraction.
Regarding the pass interference call at the end of #LACvsCIN, the receiver extended his arms and created separation from the defender enabling the catch. This is a clear example of pass interference and was a good call on the field. pic.twitter.com/pdIIa1mA91
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) September 13, 2020
It added up to a rough return for Green, who played for the first time since missing all of last season with an ankle injury. He then missed time in training camp after injuring his hamstring in August.
The would-be touchdown would have been the first in the air from Burrow, whose only score on the day arrived via the ground. His first NFL touchdown pass will have to wait. He and Green are bound to get on the scoreboard together sooner rather than later.
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