An instant classic between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills saw the game go down to the wire before being won in the final two minutes of overtime. A back-and-forth affair throughout, it saw both teams put their best offensive foot forward.
However, the game wasn’t without controversy. With penalties galore, social media was rife with criticism against the officials. Perhaps the worst offender, though, was an overturned decision on a fumble that took away a golden opportunity from the Rams.
Fans Are Stunned by Overturned Fumble Call Against the Rams
With a little over six minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Los Angeles Rams had a 14-13 lead. As the Buffalo Bills drove down the field, the Rams were able to force a fumble on James Cook thanks to Nate Landman.
The official ruling on the field signaled that the Rams had won the ball back. However, after a brief discussion, the officials changed the ruling and gave the ball back to the Bills, who were able to score a touchdown on the drive.
Avideo of the incident was shared, as ‘Rate the Refs’ wrote, “Who recovered this fumble? It appears that Buffalo might’ve had it for a brief second, but then the Rams ended up with it. Refs ruled it Rams ball on the field, but then quickly reversed that call and kept it Bills ball.”
The moment drew instant outrage, as one fan called out, “When have the refs ever changed their mind on a team recovering a fumble?”
Another fan admitted to their shock as well, arguing, “Ref Scott Novak signalled Rams’ ball on the fumble recovery. I don’t ever recall seeing a call like that overturned.”
SET YOUR LINEUPS:PFN’s Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer
Blaine Grisak of Sports Illustrated, too, wrote, “James Cook fumbled. Scott Novak’s crew initially gave it to the Rams, but changes his mind and gave the ball back to Buffalo. Weekly officiating incompetence.”
They were joined by former two-time Super Bowl champion Asante Samuel, who threw out a wild theory against the officiating crew for their decision change.
He questioned their bias, asking, “Who paid the refs off?”
For one fan, it was a sign of the referees constantly favoring the Bills,as he claimed, “What on earth. Never seen the refs reverse a possession call after a fumble. Only the Bills.”
One fan explained how devastating the consequences of the decision were, as he argued, “Refs robbed the Rams of a clear fumble recovery.”
Another fan called the officials a “joke.” He wrote, “How do you change your mind on a fumble recovery?”
The call instantly affected the outcome of the game. With both teams combining for six straight touchdown drives until the very end of regulation, it could have been a moment that gave the Rams complete control of the game.
Instead, the Bills got the ball back and were able to score a touchdown to retake the lead. Ultimately, the game went to overtime, where a blocked field goal set up the Bills to get the first overtime victory in Josh Allen’s career.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.