‘Just rough’: Giants robbed by ‘phantom penalty’ in tense NFC East showdown

The New York Giants were on the receiving end of a blatantly incorrect call that cost them early in a tense 20-15 defeat by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants were taking territory with their first drive of Thursday Night Football until the officials threw a flag on tight end Daniel Bellinger for an offensive facemask penalty.

Replays quickly showed that the officials had got the call the wrong way around as Bellinger in fact had his facemask pulled by Dallas defensive back DeMarvion Overshown.

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The flag was thrown on Bellinger as Giants quarterback Daniel Jones gained three yards on a scramble which would have made the play a third-and-three for New York, but instead they were sent back 15 yards.

The Giants still managed to gain some yardage before settling for a 52-yard field goal, but the incorrect call prompted backlash with the New York Post’s Andrew Battifarano writing on Twitter: “cue Three Blind Mice”.

Social media also spun into a frenzy with NFL pundits baffled by how the referees could get the decision so wrong.

ESPN’s Field Yates posted on X his pity for the Giants who have won once from their opening four games.

“Refs make mistakes. It’s part of the game,” he said.

“But for a ref to throw a flag for an uncommon penalty (offensive facemask) when Daniel Bellinger clearly did not grab a facemask at all, but clearly did have his own facemask grabbed is just rough.”

The Cowboys received the rub of the green on that instance, but they left the game sweating on the fitness of star defender Micah Parsons.

Parsons – who is regarded as Dallas’ best defensive weapon and the NFL’s best pass rusher – was taken off on a cart with a suspected ankle/foot injury.

Dallas’ defence has had question marks written all over it so far this season and a potential Parsons blow could create panic stations for the 2-2 Cowboys.

However, their worst fears may have been avoided as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on X that Parsons was moving around the locker room with a limp post-game but told teammates “I’ll be good”.