[shelterguy]

Exactly. If the whole game was analyzed I’m sure you could find a hundred penalties that weren’t called. It all evens out.

[dfwgator]

But this call would have allowed the Saints to run the clock down to kick the winning FG, and this was no judgement call, it was blatant.

[Dr. Sivana]

Exactly. If the whole game was analyzed I’m sure you could find a hundred penalties that weren’t called. It all evens out.

If I recall, the Saints had ZERO penalties called on them in the first half, and the Rams had four. If the refs were on the take it would have been easy-peasy to call holding on every other play when the Saints were driving (as the definition of holding is so amorphous compared to what it was in the seventies).

[Maranatha7757]

Agreed. The rules just for offensive linemen and quarterbacks have changed so much in the last three to four decades that On Any Given play the refs could easily call holding on offensive lineman.
Defensive backs commit interference on a regular basis taking their chances if they caught or not. They figure the odds are in their favor. I believe that play was an unintended consequence of those changes.