In recent NFL games, officials have faced scrutiny for their inability to consistently identify facemask penalties during Thursday night matchups. A notable incident occurred during the Baltimore Ravens' narrow 35-34 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, when Ravens defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike committed a facemask infraction against Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow that went uncalled. In response, LASIK clinics have seized the opportunity for promotion by offering NFL referees complimentary vision correction surgeries with a slogan emphasizing 'Better Vision. Better Calls.'

This marked the second instance in just three weeks where officials overlooked a facemask penalty in Thursday Night Football. The previous occurrence transpired on October 24, during the Los Angeles Rams' 30-20 win against the Minnesota Vikings. In that game, Rams linebacker Byron Young was penalized for grabbing the facemask of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold during a crucial play that ended up resulting in a safety and allowed Los Angeles to attain a 10-point lead with fewer than two minutes left on the clock. Referee Tra Blake later reported that he did not have a clear view of the situation, as Darnold was facing away from him. Ironically, despite no penalties being issued during the game, the NFL subsequently fined Young for the violation.

As the Bengals mounted their final drive, they experienced several missed calls, including a critical non-call on a two-point conversion attempt that would have given them a 36-35 lead with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. During this attempt, Burrow was hit in the head and facemask by Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones as he released the ball. Prime Video analyst Kirk Herbstreit also highlighted that Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki was being held on the same play. Terry McAulay, an officiating expert, commented during the broadcast that both instances warranted flags, stating, 'Clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight, which should have been called. It does appear to be forcible contact to the head of the quarterback, which is considered roughing the passer, and should have been flagged.' A call could have granted the Bengals another opportunity to convert from the Ravens' one-yard line. Instead, the team suffered a loss that lowered their record to 4-6 and hindered their playoff aspirations, while the Ravens improved to 7-3 and positioned themselves to potentially take first place in the AFC North, contingent upon the outcome of the upcoming game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Commanders.