"NFL rigged the Super Bowl" - Fans call foul play as Rams claim win over Bengals thanks to some questionable refereeing

Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams v Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams v Cincinnati Bengals

Super Bowl 56 is in the books as the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals for their second franchise championship. As with most NFL games these days, it didn't come without controversy and fans screaming that foul play was involved. In the case of Super Bowl 56, there is a real debate about questionable refereeing playing a role in the game.

Super Bowl 56 had one of the worst missed calls in some time

No, this is not from the real Adam Schefter, but this Twitter user made themselves clear over what they thought of the officiating:

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Fans on both sides are claiming foul play was involved and that the NFL is rigged. When it came to the Bengals, who ultimately lost, they had some calls go their way in controversial fashion. The key call led to a scoring play by Tee Higgins:

Fans instantly stormed Twitter with their bold takes on this missed call that should have negated the touchdown. @livaniza called it a dirty play but mentioned that it was too fast for refs to catch:

@DaDreamer23 wrote that it was the worst missed call of the game:

There was another instance in the game where the referees called for a defensive holding penalty on Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson late in the game, which gave the Rams a new set of downs. This is relating to Twitter user @AdamScheftah's initial tweet. Many fans were quick to call it "payback" and that it made up for the missed call on Tee Higgins:

@AuthorMaze laid down some facts for fans and claimed the holding call was legitimate and that there was a reason most of the other similar calls weren't flagged:

Regardless of the touchdown that the Bengals got from the missed penalty, they still lost the Super Bowl and the referees called it right down the middle at the end of the game when it really counted. Bengals cornerback Eli Apple had a very costly DPI penalty in the endzone that later led to the game-winning score.

At one point, the announcers stated the referees were not calling some of the more minute penalties and were "letting them play through it." All penalties come at the judgment of the referees and not every single penalty is going to be called, depending on the referee. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor even stated after the game that "it was a really well-officiated game." After all, it's just part of the game, and the Rams won the Super Bowl regardless of the blown call.


Also Check Out: Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl Wins

Bengals Nation! Check out the latest Cincinnati Bengals Schedule and dive into the Bengals Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Piyush Bisht
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