'Embarrassing' Refs Blasted by NFL Twitter During Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Title Game

The officiating in the NFL has been one of the top storylines of the 2022 season for the inconsistency throughout the year. After Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals, the referees were once again the topic of conversation for a slew of questionable calls.

The Bengals were on the wrong end of most of those calls and went on to suffer a 23-20 loss at Arrowhead Stadium. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker drilled the game-winning 45-yard field goal with three seconds left on the clock after Cincinnati defensive end Joseph Ossai was called for unnecessary roughness after a late hit on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

There were other instances during the game that went against the Bengals, such as when the Chiefs were awarded an extra down and when the referees missed a block in the back on a late punt return.

Each mistake drew the ire of NFL Twitter, with many voicing their displeasure over the subpar officiating in Sunday's game:

While the referees didn't cost the Bengals the game, they played a bigger part in their loss than officials ever should. The NFL can't enjoy these occurrences when the officiating is criticized for its impact on a high-profile game.

The league will surely need to address these issues this offseason, and it will have to hope that Super Bowl LVII between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles isn't mired by controversial calls.