In a surprising upset, the Cincinnati Bengals stormed back from an 18-point deficit against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC Championship Game before ultimately winning, 27-24, on a 31-yard field goal from Evan McPherson.
However, thanks to videos popping up across social media on Monday, the Bengals may not have been given the chance to attempt that kick.
After Joe Mixon ripped off a big run to position the Bengals squarely in range for a game-winning kick, Cincinnati's running back popped up from the ground and flipped the ball backwards.
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Did Joe Mixon fumble in OT during the AFC Championship? 🤔pic.twitter.com/4kzLQdreMa
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 31, 2022
This would normally be a nothing-to-see-here moment, except for the fact that it appears Mixon was never touched when going to the ground, meaning the play (and ball) was still live.
In addition, there's also a clear recovery from Kansas City, meaning there's a possibility of a key turnover in overtime that was never called.
According to Yahoo Sports, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reportedly asked for a review of the play, which all have to come from the booth during NFL overtime, and was told that Mixon had given himself up, therefore ending the play.
Obviously a turnover at that crucial point of the game would have not only prevented Cincinnati from connecting on the eventual game-winning field goal, but it would have also given the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense which would have needed just a field goal of its own to win the game.
According to The Action Network's in-app NFL win probability feature, the Bengals had a 91% chance to win the game following Mixon's run, showing just how important a call (or no call) it was.
