The Rams didn’t lose to the Bengals on Monday night because of the officials. They beat themselves, going 1-for-11 on third down, 1-for-4 in the red zone and committing two turnovers. The Bengals didn’t play well, either. But the Rams made far too many mistakes to overcome in this game, which they lost, 19-16.
That being said, there were two turning points in Monday night’s contest that certainly didn’t go the Rams’ way, and those plays were at the mercy of the officials.
Buy Rams TicketsThe first was on Los Angeles’ opening drive when Tutu Atwell took the toss on an end-around and appeared to turn it into a 24-yard touchdown. It was originally ruled a touchdown, but after further review, the officials decided there was enough evidence to overturn it and rule that Atwell stepped out of bounds.
The second was on Logan Wilson’s interception in the second quarter. The Rams were up 6-3 at the time and had a chance to build on their lead, but on the first play of the drive, Matthew Stafford threw a pick over the middle. It was ruled an interception, but it looked like Wilson failed to maintain complete control of the ball. It appeared to move as he went to the ground, but there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn it.
We’ll take a look at both plays below, beginning with Atwell’s run.
Tutu Atwell's run
Did Tutu Atwell step out of bounds? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/AFkpSYaIGi
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It’s hard to definitively say that Atwell’s foot stepped out before he dove for the pylon. And because it was ruled a touchdown on the field, it would’ve been perfectly reasonable to think the call would’ve stood – as it typically does when there isn’t definitive evidence.
The officials apparently saw enough to overturn it, giving the Rams the ball at the 2-yard line. They were still in position to score a touchdown, but McVay called three straight passes, including a first-down sack, and the Rams settled for a field goal.
McVay was asked about Atwell’s play after the game and he couldn’t say one way or another whether he thought his receiver stayed in.
“I’m not even too worried about it,” he said. “I didn’t even really see, they just said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to be ready to go on the 3-yard line if they end up calling it back.’ They made that decision and then we’ve got to be able to go. Taking a sack on first down really hurt us.”
The Rams had a chance to score from the 2, but they blew that opportunity and it ended up costing them in a three-point loss.
Logan Wilson's interception
Logan Wilson picks off Stafford!
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📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/NkpBC1YFYJ pic.twitter.com/0V3i4rKGVC— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2023
There’s no clear angle of this play circulating around the internet, so it’s hard to show what exactly transpired. However, when the play happened, it sure looked like the ball came a little loose in Wilson’s arms as he went to the ground, failing to control it completely.
The pick didn’t decide the outcome of the game because the Bengals wound up punting anyway, but that drive could’ve gone differently had it been ruled an incompletion instead of a pick. The Bengals did tie the game at six before halftime two drives after this interception.
