Bengals legend T.J. Houshmandzadeh didn’t hold back his frustration with the referees after Cincinnati’s painful 35-34 loss to the Ravens, calling them out for missed calls that he believes cost the Bengals a hard-fought win.
The controversy peaked in the game’s final moments when head coach Zac Taylor made a bold choice to go for a two-point conversion that could have clinched a victory. But Houshmandzadeh insists the play should have been flagged, giving Cincinnati another chance.
On the critical play, tight end Mike Gesicki was clearly held, and then quarterback Joe Burrow took a direct hit to the facemask that went uncalled. This wasn’t the first time the officials turned a blind eye. Earlier in the drive, they missed another potential penalty when Burrow was hit, but he managed to make a clutch pass on a fourth down to keep the drive alive.
With no second down on a conversion attempt, however, the Bengals couldn’t continue this time, and the game ended in heartbreak. Burrow’s performance—428 passing yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions—seemed almost in vain, and Houshmandzadeh took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration.
“Players & Coaches are held accountable for bad plays & play calls. When will these biased officials be held accountable for constantly missing calls? Burrow had 2 personal fouls missed on final drive. Damn shame,” he wrote, expressing what many Bengals fans felt after the game.
This isn’t Houshmandzadeh’s first critique of the officials this season. In a previous Bengals loss to the Chiefs, a defensive pass interference call against Cincinnati was overshadowed by a missed offensive holding by Kansas City. At the time, Houshmandzadeh commented sarcastically, “Give every game to the Chiefs rest of season. Refs in their favor every game. Why play the game if we know results beforehand?”
Now, ten weeks into the season, similar frustrations are boiling over. The Bengals have had multiple critical calls go against them, and the Chiefs have continued their winning streak, often benefiting from questionable officiating. With this loss, Cincinnati sits at 4-6, trailing Baltimore by three games.
A win would have pulled them within one game of the AFC North’s lead, but instead, they watch rivals like the Ravens and Derrick Henry’s Titans build a stronger playoff position. For the Bengals, each missed call and each close loss makes the road to the postseason feel further and further away.
