A weekend of surprising twists and turns in the NFL -- fueled in some cases by highly controversial officiating -- has prompted certains fans and journalists to wonder whether the outcome of games are being manipulated.
On Twitter, for example, the phrase "NFL RIGGED" was a trending topic.
One of the most dubious calls came in Sunday night's Giants-Commanders matchup, a game with serious playoff implications.
New York's game-saving goal-line stand in the final minutes of the fourth quarter was marred by a highly suspect illegal formation penalty against Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Replay appeared to show McLaurin conferring with line judge Carl Johnson, who seemed to confirm McLaurin was indeed in compliance.
But Johnson seemed to be reaching for the yellow flag before the ball was snapped, then threw it once the play was underway. The penalty negated a touchdown run by Washington's Brian Robinson.
For ProFootballTalk creator and lead writer Mike Florio, the blown call was proof that the NFL could be susceptible to the sort of corruption that rocked the NBA in 2007, when longtime referee Tim Donaghy's scheme to control the outcome of games for the purposes of the points spread was exposed.
While it’s difficult for one official to deliver a win or a cover, there are ways for individual officials to nudge things in a given direction.
Mainly, the judgment calls provide the opening. Roughing the passer. Pass interference. Holding.
We all discovered another one last night, thanks to the away-from-the-ball, inconsequential illegal formation foul on Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin. Anyone who pays any reasonably close attention to football at any level knows that wideouts routinely communicate with officials to get in the right position, confirming that they are or aren’t lined up on or off the ball.
Even still, Florio says he doesn't believe NFL games are fixed, but he is concerned the potential is there for one or two bad actors to sway things.
I continue to believe the NFL isn’t rigged, in the sense that the NFL doesn’t ever “want” specific teams to win or lose. I worry that a given official could, given the prevalence and ease of legalized gambling, get sufficiently swept up in it to corrupt objectivity and fairness.
Florio's analysis jibes with that of Audacy Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora, who earlier this season made a similar point about the surge of increasingly questionable and seemingly arbitrary roughing-the-passer penalties fueling suspicions about shady activity.
This week, it wasn't just the Giants-Commanders game arousing fans' suspicions.
On Saturday, the Vikings rallied for the biggest comeback in league history after a 33-point deficit at halftime against the Colts. But, it might have been a lot easier if not one but two fumbles returned for touchdowns by Minnesota cornerback Chandon Sullivan hadn't been called back. After the game, Sullivan demanded an explanation from the league.
In Las Vegas, the Raiders sealed a miraculous comeback of their own against the visiting Patriots on a seemingly unprecedented fumble returned for a touchdown by defensive end Chandler Jones at the end of regulation after New England running back and Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers initiated an ill-advised series of laterals with the game tied.
But that game-ending circus play would not have been possible without a dubious touchdown catch by Las Vegas' Keelan Cole being allowed to stand after review, even though Cole did not appear to get both feet in bounds in the end zone on the score.
Hopefully, the bad calls are just the product of poor officiating rather than something more nefarious. But either way, it's a problem for the NFL, and given the league's recent pivot to embracing sports betting, you can't exactly blame journalists and fans for fearing the worst.
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