The officiating crew committed a baffling mistake on Thursday night when Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger was flagged for facemasking, even though replays showed that Bellinger didn’t grab Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown’s facemask, and instead Overshown grabbed Bellinger’s facemask. That mistake was a 30-yard swing favoring the Cowboys.
After the game, Bellinger said he doesn’t know how that mistake happened and the officials didn’t answer when he asked.
“I tried to ask an explanation. I didn’t get any,” Bellinger said. “I just saw the video, he grabbed my facemask. But it’s up to them, it’s their call. Hopefully they get it right.”
They didn’t get it right, and it was a costly blown call for the Giants. It raises the question of why the NFL doesn’t allow coaches to challenge blown facemasking calls, as Giants coach Brian Daboll would have challenged and would have won if he had been able to. Instead, the Giants were left wondering how the officials could make such an obvious mistake.