Did referees' blunder cost Redskins chance at comeback?

The Washington Redskins were trying to drive down the field to get a win against the New York Giants late in the fourth quarter Sunday. But an unusual blunder made by the officiating crew might have put the kibosh on any Redskins chances to win the game.

On second and five from the Washington 41 yard line, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III threw a short pass to Pierre Garcon who fought for the first down. It looked like he was short and should’ve been ruled a third and one. They could’ve even brought the chains out to measure it. Instead, they signaled it was first down and moved the chains. They even changed the down box to a first down.

Thinking it was first down, the Redskins then threw a pass deep down the middle of the field to tight end Fred Davis for an incompletion. The referees then called the next play fourth and one, when the Redskins and head coach Mike Shanahan thought it was second down.

According to NBC play-by-play commentator Al Michaels after the game, Shanahan asked for a measurement from the sideline official who told him he didn’t need one because it was first down. Had they known it was third and one offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan likely would have called a different play. 

There were no playoff implications at stake but as Michaels' colleague Cris Collinsworth said moments after the Giants defeated the Redskins, "This is professional football, this is not supposed to happen."

"They really screwed this thing up," Michaels said at the time.

"You can't do that," Collinsworth added.

"Well, he just did," Michaels said, adding, "We saw it -- it was short of the first down, the chain gang moved to the first-down position, and then [Jeff] Triplette comes in after the play and says they didn't get the first down. I don't blame Mike (Shanahan) for being crazy about it."

"You can't do that!" Collinsworth interrupted. "You don't run that play if know what the down is -- you can't go back like that!"

"Absolutely," Michaels agreed. "(The officials) shouldn't have let the play go off before measuring."

When close like that, coach knows he needs to get his signal from R who always indicates down. Down box is never official
— Football Zebras.com (@footballzebras) December 2, 2013

The irony is that Triplette, considered one of the worst referees in any sport by many fans, was actually signally third down on the play in question (you can see him, in the Redskins' backfield, doing just that in the .GIF above). Why his crew completely ignored him is another matter entirely.

As for why Triplette didn't stop the clock when he saw the chains moving for a first down, well, maybe this explanation helps:

Triplette cannot -- CANNOT -- stop the clock in this case, b/c WAS gets free timeout. Triplette signaled 3rd down twice in the hurry-up
— Football Zebras.com (@footballzebras) December 2, 2013