WATCH: Officials Blow Call on Josh Allen’s First Half Kneel Down

You might think it’s hard to mess up a call on a kneel-down. However, NFL officials managed to do just that on Thursday Night Football.

On the final play of the first half, the Bills attempted a kneel-down to end the half. To reduce the chances of the Dolphins diving for the ball and causing a fumble, Bills QB Josh Allen stood in an open stance where, conceivably, he could have better protected the ball.

However, after the snap, the ball was clearly fumbled as Allen was going to a knee. He then picked up the ball and flipped it to an official.

The play was blown dead, but should it have been?

It seems pretty clear it was a botched snap and a live ball.

When asked after the game why he didn’t react more forcefully to the play, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel responded oddly.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to have an adult temper tantrum,” McDaniel told the Miami Herald.

The Dolphins say they plan to email the league about the play. However, frankly, the team’s chances of getting the play fixed by throwing an “adult temper tantrum” were probably better than sending an email.

The quick whistle is a death knell because no action can occur after the referee blows the play dead. The whistles tend to be fast because officials want to avoid player injuries, especially if that player is Josh Allen. Though in this case, it might have been better to get the call right first.