It was a nightmare scenario, and the nightmare occurred

Unfortunate way for CIN-KC to end. Refs got the penalty call right, but that ending did not do justice to an evenly matched, hard-fought game.

I concur. I wanted to see overtime with the new playoff rules.

I can’t believe the refs called that last foul on the Bengals and let KC win. Yeah, it was a little late, but not intentional or hard. What’s your take?

I thought it was an unfortunate lack of discipline at a key moment by a linebacker who had played his butt off all day. There was no question Mahomes was going out of bounds and should’ve been left alone. The hit was made to look worse than it was, but the officials had no choice. They had to flag it.

Bigger fatal flaw for the Bengals – the Joseph Ossai roughing-the-passer penalty, or their rickety offensive line?

Kansas City’s defensive front did to that banged-up Cincy O-line what Buffalo’s couldn’t. The Bengals made some nice adjustments through the middle of the game to protect Burrow, but with the outcome in the balance the protection didn’t hold up.

Any explanation on the Chiefs’ overturned first-down challenge? A first down isn’t like crossing the end zone. If a player pulls the ball back voluntarily, shouldn’t he be spotted where the ball ended up? Like when a player runs backwards, it’s not spotted where he was.

My thoughts exactly, and other readers were on the same page. I didn’t understand it. The replay booth suddenly decided to treat the first-down line like the goal line. They made that one up. Phony, bogus reversal.

Both of these games, the officials left their footprint. How does a championship game crew let a team have a do-over on a critical part of the game? It just always felt like the officials were going to call something on every important play.

I’ve come to expect the officiating to have a major impact on every game. It’s not fun to watch in that regard. But with that mindset, then I’m pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t happen. The NFL will look at the boffo TV ratings for that AFC title game and move on.

Every year the road to the Super Bowl is littered with the victims of mind-numbing calls and non-calls that leave even casual fans questioning whether football is simply scripted entertainment. I realize that the players, coaches, and even the officials are human beings who make mistakes. And I’m willing to concede that controversy keeps the sport in the spotlight. But at what point does the specter of gambling improprieties force the NFL to address, and fix, the problem?

That’s…