Former 5-Time Pro Bowler Calls Out 'Ref Bias' in Monday Night Football Debacle

In the end, there were 22 penalties--a hefty number, but not unusual by NFL standards--called in the Bills' 23-20 win over the Jets on "Monday Night Football," and the cost of the infractions was fairly equal. Each side was called for 11 penalties by the officials, with those calls costing the Bills 94 yards and the Jets 110 yards.

But several of the calls that went against the Jets were head-scratchers, and despite the even numbers, there was considerable blowback against the officials for the way the game unfolded.

Among those who was puzzled by the way the game was called was former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champ during his 11-year playing career.

Writing on Twitter/X , Sherman called out the pass interference calls--there were four all together, three of which were enforced:

"These refs are bias tonight. I don’t use that lightly but it’s apparent. These aren’t my teams but these calls don’t make sense. I see similar contact from buffalo DBs and nothing being called."

The big call that perhaps defined the officials' rough night came in the second quarter, on a deep pass from Bills quarterback Josh Allen to Mack Hollins. The ball was overthrown, and Jets star corner DJ Reed did not appear to touch Hollins. But the flag was thrown, and the play cost the Jets 23 yards.

It also helped set up a Buffalo touchdown.

To be fair, there were poor calls both ways, and the Jets benefited from a bizarre roughing the passer call against AJ Epenesa on a third-and-8 sack in the third quarter, a play that kept alive a Jets field-goal drive.

That was pointed out to Sherman, who agreed the call "was soft" but wrote, "I’m watching them call the most bs P.I. Calls this entire game. Not on the Bills but for the bills. Bills have a gripe about a roughing call that’s about it."