Unfortunately, the violation was on the minds of many NFL fans after Super Bowl 56. Officials didn’t call out many penalties during the contest, but referee Ron Torbert and his crew. He was in the midst of a few controversial calls that could alter the outcome of the game.
The first notable thing happened in the first half of the second half when the officials missed a blatant free-kick against Tee Higgins. The Bengals’ receiver threw Rams full-back Jalen Ramsey to the ground in an attempt to catch up with the dispute by grabbing and pulling at his mask.
Tee Higgins definitely got one. Get Ramsey’s mask. pic.twitter.com/yg4yFxd9VY
– Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 14, 2022
Higgins went on to score a touchdown from 75 yards. No penalty was taken and that gave the Bengals a 17-13 lead, their first game.
IYER: Six plays helped the Rams win Super Bowl 56 against the Bengals
The missed call appeared to be an obvious mistake on the part of the executive team, but Torbert doubled it after the game. The referee said in a syndicated report that the contact was not worthy of an intervention call.
“The crew did not see any communications that warranted a jammed pass,” Tolbert said after the contest. “It was a controversial catch, and the crew didn’t see any contact to the point of jamming the pass.”
SEX: Bengals pass protection problem entangles them in Super Bowl loss
But what about the mask penalty? Torbert explained that they didn’t see “a grab and twist and turn” throughout the play. So they don’t call it.
“Our rule of thumb is that if there’s a grab and a turn, it’s enough to commit a foul,” says Torbert. “If there is only one scratch through the mask, where there are no bends and turns, even if there is a grab, there is no fault. . . “
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Looking too early on the 2022 NFL season
Torbert’s interpretation of the NFL’s mask rule is correct. However, there was definitely a bump of Higgins grabbing and twisting, so it looks like the crew missed out on traction from the Bengals’ receiver.
That said, the Rams found themselves on the right side of another scam call later in the game, when officials miss a false start on the Rams and place a questionable defensive call on Logan Wilson to give Los Angeles the first chance and goal.
Torbert was not asked about that sequence, which resulted in the Rams’ game winning score.
