Officials miss egregious pass interference on would-be Bengals TD vs. Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals caught a bad break early in Sunday's AFC championship game that might have cost them points.

Trailing the Kansas City Chiefs, 7-0 after the latest rendition of Patrick Mahomes wizardry, the Bengals looked to answer with a drive into red zone on their second possession. On second-and-10 from the Kansas City 14-yard line, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow looked to wideout Tee Higgins in the end zone.

Higgins got his left hand on the ball, but Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton knocked it loose for an incomplete pass.

Another angle shows that Fenton did a little more than play tight coverage. Higgins attempted to make the catch with just his left hand because his right hand wasn't available. Fenton grabbed Higgins' right arm and held it back prior to the ball's arrival.

Big blow for Bengals

That's blatant pass interference. But there was no flag. Officials allowed the play to stand as an incomplete pass, and the Bengals faced third-and-10 on their next play instead of first-and-goal at the 1 that would have resulted from a pass interference call.

The Bengals failed to convert on third down and settled for a field goal to cut their deficit to 7-3. The Chiefs, meanwhile responded with another touchdown on their second drive as their offense got off to a scorching start.

In the end, Cincinnati prevailed from the missed call and an early 21-3 deficit to stun Kansas City in a 27-24 overtime win to advance to the Super Bowl.

This seems familiar

The missed call wasn't a complete surprise for folks who closely follow NFL officiating. Referee Bill Vinovich's crew called the fewest defensive pass interference in the league this season.

And New Orleans Saints fans are quite familiar. Vinovich's crew officiated the 2019 NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams that played host to arguably the most notorious missed call in NFL history.