Al Michaels slams NFL refs: ‘Too many games end this way’

Thursday night’s game was a bad look for NFL refs, and broadcast Al Michael let them have it.

The longtime sports broadcaster criticized officials for missing two blatant calls with the game on the line in the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Bengals and Ravens.

“Too many games end this way,” Michael said during the broadcast. “They just do. You miss calls. The whole thing. So frustrating for the fans. So frustrating.”

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The play that drew Michaels’ ire was a two-point conversion with 0:38 left in the fourth quater. Cincinnati had just scored a touchdown to make it a 35-34 game. Rather than try and tie the game with an extra point, the Bengals opted to go for two and the win.

It didn‘t work. as quarterback Joe Burrow’s pass to tight end Tanner Hudson fell incomplete.

However, replays showed that the Ravens appeared to commit two egregious penalties on the play that had gone uncalled.

First, former Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki was mauled by Baltimore defenders in what should have been called defensive holding. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Travis Jones clearly hit Burrow in the facemask on the play, which qualifies for roughing the passer.

Rules analyst Terry McAulay said both plays should have drawn a flag.

“Yeah, it was clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight. That should have been called,” McAulay said. “And that does look like forcible contact to the head of the quarterback. That’s roughing the passer and should have been called.”

The missed two-point conversion effectively ended Cincinnati’s chances Thursday night. The Bengals attempted an onside kick on the following snap. However, the Ravens recovered and ran out the clock.

When asked about the officiating after the game, Burrow said that he’s learned to not expect those types of calls to go his way.

“You know I feel like I have never gotten those calls,” Burrow said, via Sports Illustrated. ”So, I don’t really expect that. I feel like there were a couple that were close. Again, I don’t expect those.”

Burrow went 34-of-56 passing for 428 yards and 4 touchdowns in the game. However, it’s those last two yards that will remain a sticking point as Cincinnati falls to 4-6 on the year.