Bengals legend blasts referees after heartbreaking loss to Chiefs
Some Cincinnati Bengals fans weren't happy with the referees following the team's 26-25 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, and they weren't alone. Bengals legend T.J. Houshmandzadeh also took to Twitter (now known as X) after the game to express some frustration regarding the way that the game was called down the stretch.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh calls out the refs for favoring Kansas City
Houshmandzadeh fired off a string of posts calling out the officiating and perceived favoritism that benefitted Kansas City. He seemed to take issue with two specific calls: A non-call against Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie for a tackle on Ja'Marr Chase, and the call that basically determined the game -- a pass interference penalty on rookie safety Daijahn Anthony on a fourth-and-16.
Bitch ass refs miss a big call & throws flag on Chase. Players get fined but refs get AWAY with a bunch of TERRIBLE CALLS
— T.J. Houshmandzadeh (@housh84) September 15, 2024
Give every game to the Chiefs rest of season. Refs in their favor every game. Why play the game if we know results beforehand?
— T.J. Houshmandzadeh (@housh84) September 15, 2024
That was PI. Let’s see if that call gets made moving forward for other teams when it’s 4th & long
— T.J. Houshmandzadeh (@housh84) September 15, 2024
Houshmandzadeh may not be on the Bengals anymore, but he's clearly still very passionate about the team, and that passion is one of the main reasons he became a fan favorite during his eight seasons in Cincinnati.
Plus, he's far from the only one who questioned the calls in the guts of the game against the Chiefs. A quick scroll through social media will tell you that many people felt like the Chiefs may have gotten a little help from he refs.
The refs when the Chiefs are about to lose: pic.twitter.com/6SMUHVJNVZ
— Barstool Cincinnati (@UCBarstool) September 15, 2024
You literally can’t convince me the refs don’t make calls to favor the Chiefs
— Bengals Graphics (@BengalsGraphic5) September 15, 2024
It’s so blatantly obvious it’s comical
The refs walking into the Kansas City Chiefs locker room after the Bengals game.
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) September 15, 2024
pic.twitter.com/dsefxR8MQS
So, were there some questionable calls at the end of the game? Sure, but that's football. You could probably find a fanbase unhappy with the calls at the end of any given game. Hell, the outcome of Super Bowl 57 was basically determined by a [very] questionable holding call that went against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The call gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs and allowed them to run out the clock and then kick a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of the contest. Sound familiar? Wait a second though, that call also worked out in Kansas City's favor and helped them to secure a victory. Maybe there really is something to the theory that the refs conspire to help the Chiefs win. Just kidding. Kind of.
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