Similar finishes to each of the last two Super Bowl games has fans calling the NFL “rigged.”
On Friday, Dov Kleiman shared a video comparing the late defensive holding calls in each of the last two Super Bowls which led to the game-winning scoring plays.
In Super Bowl 56, Logan Wilson of the Cincinnati Bengals was curiously flagged for holding Cooper Kupp on a third-and-goal play. The Los Angeles Rams got a fresh set of downs, and Matthew Stafford wound up throwing the game-winning touchdown to Kupp.
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In this year’s Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles corner James Bradberry was flagged for defensive holding on JuJu Smith-Schuster. That gave the Kansas City Chiefs a fresh set of downs, and they melted most of the clock before Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning field goal.
Kleiman asked fans which call they thought was worse, and that led to plenty of suggestions from fans that the league is “rigged.”
Bradberry subsequently told reporters that it was holding on his end, but that he was simply hoping to get away with it. But his comments haven’t been enough to slow down the backlash against the officials who threw a flag on that play.
Fans, coaches and players simply don’t want to see a big game come down to a questionable penalty call. But that’s just reality of NFL officiating, and it won’t change unless the league decides to a) bring in full-time officials and/or b) implement the use of a sky judge.
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