While the NFL is the most monitored and heavily officiated sports league in the world, mistakes, serious ones keep happening. All the league can do to console teams like the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers is admit that there were mistakes, nothing more.

The Chargers got hurt by an illegal hit call, giving the Texans a touchdown instead of a field goal. The Raiders had the chance to put the game away on a touchdown off a fumble, but the Indianapolis Colts were bailed from that turnover. The Green Bay Packers also had grievances of their own as the 49ers were given an extra shot at a third down for no reason at all.

Chargers Get Screwed

In the fourth quarter, while Philip Rivers was imploding, the Texans got a bit of help from the officials, who called an illegal hit on Cam Thomas of the Chargers as he tackled the long snapper. It wiped out a field goal attempt for the Texans, instead pushing them to the Chargers’ 9, scoring a touchdown on the next play (Owen Daniels), giving ouston an extra four points in a game it eventually won by 3.

Indianapolis Colts Get a Gift

With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Oakland Raiders were leading the Colts 17-14. Andrew Luck completed a pass to T.Y. Hilton on 2nd and 7. Hilton is tackled short of the first down after gaining control of the ball, and is tackled while the ball is stripped away from him. Instead of a fumble in what would end up being a touchdown for the Raiders, the officials called it as a catch and down. Indianapolis would score on the very next play.

49ers & Packers

So yeah, Colin Kaepernick got hit late by Clay Matthews while going out of bounds. Despite what the NFL is saying, the officials were right to penalize Joe Staley. Their mistake was giving the 49ers an extra down to try and score, on a day in which the Packers struggled to hold the fort on third down. Matthews might have been ejected, but Staley wasn’t too innocent during the whole incident.

Wes Welker Getting Away With It

It’s not like the Baltimore Ravens were remotely close to hanging on with the Denver Broncos as Peyton Manning enjoyed an almost perfect day. Yet this Wes Welker “catch” should have been called an incompletion, and Harbaugh missed out on a rare chance to get a stop against Denver by not challenging.

Calvin Johnson & Victor Cruz

The Clavin Johnson ruled denied Megatron a touchdown even though he had both of his feet touching the ground in the endzone. However, the officials made a weird call regarding the fact that he didn’t have full control while holding on to the ball. If you remember correctly, a running back doesn’t need full control of the ball in order to get a touchdown awarded to him as he crosses the imaginary line.

In Dallas, a bit later that day, Victor Cruz scored a touchdown without completing the so-called process of controlling the ball. In a game officiated by so many eyes, with review booths and challenges, officials still miss quite clear and easy calls, but don’t have someone behind their back to correct them.

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