Watch: It sure looks like officials screwed Tee Higgins out of an insane TD (Video)

It sure looked like Tee Higgins reeled in an absolutely phenomenal touchdown catch — at least it did to everyone other than the officials. 

An important life lesson they don’t teach you in school is that a robbery is not a negotiation. NFL officials didn’t have ski masks on, but they were not interested in negotiating a controversial no touchdown call on what appeared to be a highlight reel touchdown catch by Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.

Higgins went up for a pass in the corner of the endzone and despite being draped in coverage seemingly came down with the ball. Officials initially ruled that Higgins was out of bounds, but even looking at it in real time suggested that he perhaps had actually made a miraculous catch for the Bengals first points of the day.

Everyone with eyes was wowed in real time and the appreciation for the toe tap was deepened upon replay.

Well, everyone except the officials who made the call. Not only was the call on the field ruled incomplete, but call remained the same even after Zac Taylor’s coach’s challenge gave officials a closer look.

To be fair, it’s close. Higgins definitely taps his toes and it doesn’t appear as though his heel hits before his toes hit the corner grass. There’s also the question of whether he had possession of the ball when he tapped and before he tumbled out of bounds, but that also seems to be cleared up when looking at it in slow motion.

Just look at this:

Higgins appears to have possession of the ball right here with one foot already in bounds. He then appears to land the tip of his other toe in bounds before going out.

Possession of the ball and both feet in bounds, albeit all on the absolute razor’s edge of the wire.

Officials ruled Higgins out and the touchdown was never put on the board. The Bengals managed to score on the next play on a Joe Burrow pass to Semaje Perine. It marked the first touchdown in the first half the Bengals had scored this season, and was also the first time they held a lead all season long too.