NFL commentator Al Michaels has slammed officials after a defensive holding and a roughing the passer call went unpunished in the Cincinnati Bengals’ narrow defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bengals lost the narrow Thursday Night Football game 35-34, and the second half was must-watch TV as Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase combined to score three touchdowns. The last came with 38 seconds left to cut the deficit to one point.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor decided to go big or go home, and instructed his offense to go for a two-point conversion. However, the play call didn’t go as Cincinnati had planned. Burrow looked for tight end Tanner Hudson but he was unable to pull the ball in to snatch the win over the Ravens.

Replays suggest that the play should’ve been pulled back, though. The broadcast team questioned why there were no penalties after a holding Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki and a roughing on passer Burrow, who was hit on the helmet long after releasing the ball.

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“Too many games end this way. They just do. You miss calls. The whole thing. So frustrating for the fans. So frustrating,” Michaels said. Rules analyst Terry McAulay also stated that the Ravens may have got away with it.

“It was clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight,” McAulay said. That should have been called. And that does look like forceable to the head of the quarterback. That’s roughing the passer and should have been called.”

Burrow explained what happened on that decisive play after the game. “I just sailed it a little bit,” Burrow said on his two-point conversion effort, via the Bengals. “We knew what situation we were in. You’re not getting those calls in that situation for the most part.”

“I feel like I’ve never really gotten those calls, so I don’t really expect that,” Burrow added. “I feel like there were a couple that were close, but I don’t really expect those.”

A win would’ve been the icing on the cake for Burrow and Co. whose offensive play was outstanding. Burrow threw over 428 yards for four touchdowns, while Chase scored three touchdowns on 264 receiving yards. It was an MVP-worthy performance by Burrow, who was squaring off with last season’s award winner, and 2024 frontrunner, Lamar Jackson.

The Bengals can still make the playoffs despite a 4-6 record. Many believe the record doesn’t represent the football Cincinnati is playing on offense, in particular. “This one has been frustrating,” Burrow said. “You look at how we’re playing and you look at Trey Hendrickson and how he’s playing. Yeah, it’s a tough pill to swallow. We’ve had our opportunities. It’s tough when you feel like you’re playing well enough to win and you’re not. There’s always more to do.”