A common occurrence on social media during Thursday Night Football NFL games is fans blasting the officiating.
Sure enough, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals‘ AFC North showdown was accompanied by some vocal detractors of some of the referee calls. But those fans gained a notable ally in ESPN personality Dan Orlovsky.
What Did Dan Orlovsky Say About the Refereeing in Bengals-Ravens?
The former NFL quarterback took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to voice his opinion on the jobs the officials were doing at M&T Bank Stadium.
“Officiating in the NFL remains an absolute disaster,” Orlovsky said.
Officiating in the #NFL remains an absolute disaster
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7)
Questionable Defensive Penalty Drew Series of Reactions
One notable moment in the game was Bengals defensive back DJ Turner getting the yellow marker for defensive pass interference.
However, many viewers, including Joey DeBerardino of NBC WDTN of Dayton, Ohio, confidently believed that Turner was nowhere near in the wrong on this coverage.
A look at the pass interference call on DJ Turner.
You make the call.
I’m going to confidently say this isn’t even close to PI. Pretty sure everyone agrees too. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/hEyPruUd6Y
— Joey DeBerardino (@JoeyDeBerardino)
Even Amazon Prime color commentator Kirk Herbstreit was one who disagreed with the penalty, as he was heard saying, “I don’t see anything.”
But that wasn’t all. One fan posted a clip of a questionable holding call made on Odell Beckham Jr. In this view, Beckham’s hands are visibly between the numbers and do not appear to be tugging at the defender’s jersey.
They need to start disciplining or fining refs. This play was called back for holding. Wow. #TNFonPrime #ravens #Bengals pic.twitter.com/gC7qJWLz8x
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82)
The Ravens would’ve scored on a 68-yard Zay Flowers touchdown had that holding call not been made. Fortunately for Baltimore, Lamar Jackson ended the drive with a 37-yard strike to Nelson Agholor.
But it wasn’t just the Ravens who became the recipient of questionable calls. Even Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was shown on television losing his cool on the sidelines toward the officials.
Bengals Legend Also Chimed in on Officiating
Orlovsky wasn’t the only vocal former NFL player watching the referee decisions unfold.
A certain former Bengals legend, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, was another who had his watchful eyes on the men in stripes.
MORE: Bengals vs. Ravens Observations
The wide receiver, who played from 2001 to 2008 with the Bengals and earned a 2007 Pro Bowl appearance, got blunt toward the officials online.
“Once again these guys that shouldn’t be noticed always seem to make sure we all know they are here! Refs are trash,” Houshmandzadeh posted on X.
Once again these guys that shouldn’t be noticed always seem to make sure we all know they are here! Refs are 🗑🗑🗑
— T.J. Houshmandzadeh (@housh84)
Outside of the calls, the Ravens continued their hold on the top of the division standings with a convincing 34-20 romp, moving them to 8-3 overall.
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed!
