The last flag should not have been thrown and the game should have went into overtime. He barely touched him as they flew by each other but you knew the ref could not resist the temptation.
No flags in the last minute.
Fans are entitled to their opinions. No flags in the last 1:00 would be a disaster. The seven officials on the field get to see if once at game speed. You enjoy the ability to see frame by frame and make judgments.
In this particular call the NFL has codified knots rule book that a hit in a defenseless player is UNR and penalized by a 15 yard penalty against the offending team. It is no secret the NFL as a point of emphasis wants to eliminate the defenseless hits. In this case QB # 15 had his foot clearly in the paint heading to the sideline and then was hit from behind which caused him to go to the ground.
But there is an art to officiating. I agree with some here who have said the call was technically correct but didn’t have to be made. Was it enough? At that point in the game I don’t think so. One must officiate time and score
Nonetheless the down judge and side judge were in the classic no win. They make the call they rigged the game for KC and Maholmes. They don’t make the call they rig the game for the the bengals. Either call is acceptable but the standard philosophy behind the rules is when in doubt if it is a safety issue or defenseless player issue throw the flag. When in doubt on a judgment call pass on it.
This call was a the kobyashi maru of officiating.