The first quarter between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football in Week 9 hasn’t been without drama. After Dallas was not able to score any points on the board despite reaching the red zone, the road team was able to build a steady drive with their backup quarterback to get a field goal.
However, as they added three points on the board, it seemed that the Cowboys’ fan base did not agree with the referees’ call. They turned to social media to voice their anger, even though the officials made a correct call.
Fans Blast Referees for Correct Field Goal Judgement in Cowboys vs. Cardinals
A 48-yard field goal attempt is never an easy feat to pull off, despite how regular it might seem these days. But Chad Ryland made quick work of the shot, getting three points on the board for Arizona on their opening drive.
However, as the ball sailed through the upright, the immediate angle from behind the structure made it seem like the ball hadn’t gone through it, but flown to the right. The refs in attendance were able to make out the difference and awarded the points to the Cardinals.
You be the judge, is this field goal good or was it wide for the Cardinals? pic.twitter.com/mbxR7X1M7E
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) November 4, 2025
On subsequent replays, it became clear that the call was the correct one. But by then, fans had already taken to social media with accusations against the officials. Leading the charge was a loudmouth Cowboys fan and media analyst, Skip Bayless.
That wasn’t a missed field goal???
— 💋 (@AunnieMichelle) November 4, 2025
He claimed, “That field goal sure looked wide right. Refs looked at each other like, ‘What’d you see?’ ‘Not sure.’ And they raised their arms ‘good.'” Others, too, came to the same conclusion, as one Denver Broncos insider wrote, “Was that kick wide? I’m in Arizona tonight, but that looks wide.”
Are we sure that field goal was good? That looked like a miss to me.
— MBeast (@m_beast1) November 4, 2025
Another fan was confused about the situation, as he asked, “Did he really make that field goal? Looked wide right to me lol.” With the officiating remaining a major controversy seemingly every game, the league would have wanted to avoid any such scandals from erupting.
The Cowboys currently have the second-worst defense in the league based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, and they need close moments like these turning in their favor to win games.
Taking a break from basketball coverage to say Chad Ryland clearly missed that field goal. Awful call.
— Matt Germack (@MattGermack) November 4, 2025
As a result, a call as blatantly obvious as this wasn’t one that the referees would make a mistake in. As one fan wondered, “Can I see a decent replay of that field goal, please?” The broadcast immediately did do just that, showcasing a clean field goal made for Arizona.