The NFL Divisional Round has not just seen unexpected outcomes, but official drama and forgotten rules. Both games played on January 18 have come under fire for poor officiating and crucial missed calls.
While fans and experts weighed in on the controversial decisions, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, known for staying out of social media, stepped in to comment.
Joe Burrow Picks Sides Over Officiating Controversy
In the AFC Divisional game between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots, the officials wiped off a Woody Marks touchdown under the “Illegal Shift” rule.
In the NFC Divisional game between the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams, fans believed a “roughing the passer” call was missed. While this could determine the outcome of the 20-17 game, Burrow is not quite convinced of these accusations.
Burrow posted on X, “The amount of ppl that don’t understand what a catch is in the rule book flabbergasts me. And it’s not the officials. The two plays yesterday were not difficult calls, and they got them both right.”
The amount of ppl that don’t understand what a catch is in the rule book flabbergasts me. And it’s not the officials. The two plays yesterday were not difficult calls, and they got them both right.
— Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) January 19, 2026
While this sounds like an accusation, the Bengals quarterback may just be right in his analysis. Fans always want their favorite team to win. But when things don’t pan out as expected, the blame is shifted from the performance to factors that “might have” affected it.
Burrow’s take can be explained with lines from the NFL rulebook.
Breaking Down the NFL Rulebook for Clarity on Burrow’s Statement
Let’s start with the Patriots-Texans game. Rule 7, Section 4, Article 7 reads:
“The offensive team must present a legal formation before and after a shift. It is permitted to shift and have two or more players in motion multiple times before the snap. However, after the last shift, all players must come to a complete stop and be in a set position simultaneously for at least one full second.”
And then comes the part that drove the penalty: “If any eligible backfield player goes in motion (one at a time) after the last shift and comes to a complete stop, there is no requirement for a full second pause before a second player can legally go in motion.”
The refs in the game stated that the fullback wasn’t fully set and moved when another player was in motion.
Hence, it called for the imposition of a consequential penalty.
While this call was made, a call was allegedly missed in the Bears-Rams game. The controversy erupted over the Rams’ first touchdown drive. It started with a turnover when Rams’ tackle Kobie Turner caused an interception, allegedly hitting Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on the head as he threw the ball.
While a forcible blow to the head of the quarterback is forbidden, NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay gave a great take on the matter. “Could officials have called a foul for roughing the passer? Now certainly that’s forceable, it’s subjective, [but] officials on the field didn’t think it was. I believe it is,” he said.
The point here is that it is easy to get deceived when watching it from the stands or on a screen. In the field, the issues are much more varied. But unfortunately for the Bears, the ref’s decision here cannot be challenged, as the rule is not subject to replay review.
