NFL Referees Appear To Gift Saints Chance To Beat Commanders In Final Seconds

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The "NFL is rigged!" crew got a fresh new conspiracy to dissect in Week 15 thanks to the Washington Commanders win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

While the Commanders dominated the majority of the game, they allowed the Saints to climb out of a 17-0 hole and nearly allowed New Orleans to erase a 13-point fourth quarter deficit. 

RELATED: Commanders' Zach Ertz Suffers Concussion Immediately Following Incredible Catch

Though, to be fair, the referees had a hand in that, too. Let's set the scene. 

With just under seven minutes left, the Saints kicked a field goal to bring themselves within seven points at 20-13. 

The Commanders had a lengthy offensive drive that soaked up just over five minutes of the remaining clock, but it ended with a missed 54-yard field goal by Greg Joseph. 

So, the Saints got the ball back, down by seven points, with 1:55 left. Spencer Rattler, who took over at quarterback for starter Jake Haener, drove the team down the field and gave them a chance to potentially tie – or win – the game. 

The New Orleans Saints nearly beat the Washington Commanders in the final seconds in Week 15, but the final play only happened because of the NFL referees.

The New Orleans Saints nearly beat the Washington Commanders in the final seconds in Week 15, but the final play only happened because of the NFL referees. 

(Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)

But here's where things get a little fishy. Facing a fourth-and-three from the Commanders' eight-yard line, Rattler completed a short pass to tight end Foster Moreau. 

Moreau gained enough yards for the first down, but came up just short of the goal line. With the clock winding, the Saints had to hurry to the line and spike the football to give themselves one more play before the end of the fourth quarter. 

Here's the problem: the clock mysteriously stopped for 3-4 seconds while New Orleans was rushing to the line-of-scrimmage. 

Watch the video below, and see what happens when the clock hits 9 seconds remaining. 

The clock clearly stops for 3-4 seconds, which was plenty of time for the Saints to spike the ball and then run one more play. 

They scored on that play to close within one point. However, they went for the two-point conversion to win and failed, giving the Commanders the victory. 

Interestingly, this turn of events didn't affect the betting results. The Commanders, as 7.5-point favorites, already weren't covering the spread before the Saints scored. 

The total for the game was 43, so the under hit even with the additional touchdown. And, obviously, the moneyline didn't change since the Saints missed the two-point conversion. 

Still, it raises some questions about integrity, which is something the NFL cannot afford.

What if the Saints HAD converted that two-point conversion? Would the league have looked into this? 

It was a big win for the Commanders, who are currently chasing a playoff spot in the NFC. But a loss would have hurt their chances greatly. 

Thankfully, that didn't happen.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.