NFL referee’s horrified face expression during the Ravens-49ers game garners fans criticism, labeling it as “rigged”

The whole scenario of the 2023 NFL season started to change greatly following Week 12. Coveted Super Bowl contenders are going down to below-average teams like never before. However, the Baltimore Ravens stand out in the crowd amid the downfall of the big teams. Except for the disappointing loss against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, the team hasn’t lost any match lately.

The Ravens are sitting atop the AFC North with a 12-3 record. Their latest win came against Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy’s San Francisco 49ers squad. Besides their huge win against the mighty team, the match also hit the headlines for a hilarious yet controversial action of an NFL referee on the field.

NFL referee’s horrified face expression goes viral

The 49ers notched their first points on the board through an extraordinary safety, all thanks to an unforeseen stumble by the NFL referee Alex Moore. The bizarre sequence of events occurred in the opening quarter of the matchup as Lamar Jackson found himself under pressure from the relentless 49ers defense. As he attempted to evade the oncoming rush, he inadvertently retreated into his own end zone.

Caught in the midst of this frantic play was Moore, positioned closely behind Jackson. The NFL referee’s backward jog took an unexpected turn when his footing faltered, sending him tumbling to the ground. The weird collision resulted in Jackson being tripped up and resulted in him committing an intentional grounding penalty within his own end zone, giving the 49ers a safety.

However, the dramatic turn of the incident didn’t conclude with the stumble. Adding a comedic touch to the unfolding spectacle, ESPN cameras captured Moore’s expression at the moment of his fall. The referee’s horrified face became the point of amusement for sports enthusiasts, quickly going viral over social media.

While the mishap led to a safety for the 49ers, it wasn’t without repercussions for the Ravens. NFL head official Bill Vinovich enforced the intentional grounding penalty against the dual-threat star Jackson, despite him managing to avoid a sack. This decision, while fair according to the rulebook, compounded the embarrassment for the Ravens.

Fans claim NFL is “rigged” following questionable referees’ conduct

Despite the controversial call of the Jackson for intentional grounding, the 49ers couldn’t take full advantage of the incident as well. The Ravens’ defense managed to stifle their attempts by limiting them to a field goal following the controversial call on Jackson.

However, this call baffled fans, and ignited a storm of criticism across social media platforms. The incident, coupled with questionable decisions by referees, intensified sentiments among sports enthusiasts, who questioned the fairness and transparency of NFL officiating.

A fan wrote, “Rigged call.”

A netizen wrote, “Can you believe people are still watching #NFL #Football games? Even though it’s been proven that these games are rigged and the coaches, refs and players and owners are all in on it? It’s a giant money making scheme.”

Meanwhile, some fans also questioned Jackson’s move of running towards the end zone on that play, with some wondering if it was needed at all.

A user wrote, “Lamar had no reason being in the end zone on that play.”

However, despite the NFL referee’s weird action, the Ravens got the last laugh as they secured a whopping 33-19 win over the 49ers. Though their dedicated fan base lost cool for a while due to the unusual condition, they might be happy now seeing Ravens dominating while other big teams like the Kansas City Chiefs lost their NFL Christmas Game.