We all knew the refs made a mistake when they incorrectly advanced the chains indicating a first down on third down as the Redskins were driving down field in hopes of a game-tying touchdown. Now the league’s officiating director, Dean Blandino, has acknowledged the error as well.
“In this situation where there is obvious confusion as to the status of the down, play should have been stopped prior to third down and the correct down communicated to both clubs. This should have occurred regardless of the fact that Washington had no timeouts and it was inside two minutes.”
The call was an ugly way to end an ugly game. But the truth is, Washington hurt themselves more than that botched call did.