Posted on 01/20/2019 5:22:45 PM PST by OddLane
A crucial non-interference, non-helmet-to-helmet call cost the Saints a spot in the Super Bowl and provided a crushing loss to end the season for a second straight year as the Rams won with a field goal in overtime 26-23.
After the game, Saints head coach Sean Payton said the NFL head of officials admitted they had missed the call, saying that it was not only pass interference, but a helmet to helmet hit. If the call had been made, the Saints could have killed the clock and tried a chip shot field goal...
(Excerpt) Read more at wwltv.com ...
Perhaps the NFL should require any referee who blows a call must referee the next two Green Bay or Chicago home games.
-PJ
And this is part of the reason I only watch golf.
Will Mueller have to investigate this also?
Especially in the last 2 minutes of a half, it seems like “the league” should automatically review major penalties, and / or coaches should have a renewed (?) right to challenge one major penalty call. The technology is certainly there for “New York” to make an initial determination to review further or “continue play”, within 20 seconds after the flag is noted (either by those doing the review of by the TV coverage), so as not to interrupt the flow of the game too much. (If the offensive team snaps the ball in under 20 seconds, the preliminary review is aborted.
A LOT of games come down to 1 play. Both teams played well, overall, and given that, the game was bound to be close.
Besides, THAT call was NOT questionable.
If they are going to do replay they need to have a central league monitoring site, who can communicate to the refs that a play needs to be looked at, and within 15 seconds deliver a verdict. It seems silly that they can’t be looking at the very same replays we can see at home, and make a quick determination, instead of having the official going to the booth the determine the outcome.
More clearly: That call was not “questionable”, or debatable. It was totally blown. Even the DB, shown the play on video, later, said it was pass interference.
It looked to me like the DB intentionally interfered, believing that the Saints were going to score if he hadn’t. He was never even looking for the ball.
He was probably the most shocked person in the building that interference wasn’t called.
Some plays might take a couple looks from several angles, so 15 seconds to make a determination might be “too quick.” But surely, in 20 seconds (my limit), if not 15 seconds (your limit), after the flag’s throwing has been noted, it should be possible to decide whether to continue on with the next play, or “hold” for further review.
I’m guessing the referees would insist on doing their own over-ruling @ the game, but “New York” could call for the review, or point out finer points of rules if a ref is in error on such. I’m guessing a fair amount of “back and forth” already occurs once those headphones are put on.
Agreed.
I'll take my chances, bad calls usually cancel out over time, anyway. But the length of games is ridiculous. I basically only watch the fourth quarter now, if I even watch a game, because what's the point of spending three hours watching, when the game comes down to the last five minutes, anyway?
“...the game comes down to the last five minutes,...”
same with basketball, except it’s the last four minutes!
For me, the length is immaterial, as I’m almost always doing “other stuff”, and will watch while taking breaks, or the game is “background”: If the latter, I’ll take a closer gander if the announcers are describing something noteworthy sounding. If it’s close, I’ll watch the last several minutes of a half, or maybe a 4th quarter now and then. Longer stretches are only if I’m eating a meal and watching at the same time. (I have a crazy schedule). Almost ANY game in any sport would have to be under an hour long for me to watch straight through, and even then it’d be maybe once or twice a year.
One problem is that the overwhelming portion of calls are subjective, and things like holding occur on pretty much every play at least by the letter of the rules. This was pretty clear, but it is not commonly that way.
See “defenseless receiver”
One issue is like last year, where for the Superbowl they change the definition of a catch in NY, but don’t tell anyone.
I totally agree with you, that was one of the worst bad calls I've ever seen.
I am still protesting NFL.
Anyway, this play I am looking at WITHOUT A DOUBT... IS pass interference. Haha! I can’t believe the NFL is that blatant in rigging their games.
It should be first and goal.
Unbelievable how bad they are getting
Not in the rules. It would have cost them a time out.
That wasn’t blatant /s
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