“When in Doubt, Give Them the First Down”: Ben Roethlisberger Reacts to Controversial Call on Josh Allen’s QB Sneak Against the Chiefs

The Chiefs have been getting the benefit of the doubt from the refs all season long, and their most recent matchup against the Bills featured a few controversial calls as well. From phantom penalties in KC’s favor to Josh Allen’s QB sneak being ruled short, it was a rough game for the losing team. Specifically, the QB sneak on a crucial fourth down has been dubbed a very weird call. With it being so close to the line, many believe it should have been given a first down — including, as it turns out, Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger was usually on the other side of bad decisions by refs during his playing days. He’s attached to the infamous Jesse James TD pass he threw against the Patriots that was controversially ruled incomplete. Now in retirement, Big Ben still isn’t afraid to let it rip on the officials from time to time.

Most recently, he decided to say how he felt about the controversial Allen QB sneak play that was ruled short, calling it a bad call with several mismanaged aspects. He argued that officials often award touchdowns in tough goal-line decisions, so a fourth-down conversion in a similar situation should have been given the same benefit.

“When a person or player gets close to the goal line, (and it’s) in doubt, they give him a touchdown,” Roethlisberger pointed out on his podcast, Footbahlin. “Because if it goes to a touchdown, it’s automatically reviewed. I think that’s the safe play. I feel like they should have awarded the first down. When in doubt, give him the first down. Let the Chiefs challenge it and see if (the play checks out).”

Roethlisberger is right on the money in comparing the play to a touchdown review. He knows that every first down isn’t reviewed like scores, but still believes that, in a critical situation, it should be treated as such. If Allen had been given the first down, the replay review wouldn’t have shown indisputable evidence to overturn the call. Instead, he was ruled short, and the lack of indisputable evidence worked against them.

Allen was simply caught up in an unfortunate situation with how the game was called. If there’s no evidence to overturn an original decision, the replay room must uphold the refs’ ruling. However, both Roethlisberger and others noticed the questionable spot the officials gave Allen when he was ruled down.

“Well if you watch, the first official comes in and he gives it (the first down) to him (Allen)… The guy on this side comes in, he’s avoiding people and he kind of gets back. Give it to him and that way, if there’s any shadow of doubt, you keep the drive going. Now I know that the Chiefs are like ‘Absolutely not. Keep it going.’ There’s two sides to every story.”

It would’ve been nice to see the refs officiate the game the way Ben wanted. Almost everyone who isn’t a Chiefs fan believes Allen got that first down. Yet, the officials ultimately have the final say. Yes, it’s easier to officiate games from the couch than from the actual field of play, but the fact that one ref initially appeared to rule a first down, only for the other to disagree, should raise some questions.

Roethlisberger did, however, conclude that running the QB sneak on fourth and short is risky because you’re relying on the officials to guess where the ball is in a sea of bodies. The play hadn’t worked all game for the Bills (they failed four times in total), yet they decided to keep going to it. Maybe they’ll learn their lesson and give it to James Cook next time.