The last thing the NFL would ever want is for an officiating
mistake to decide the Super Bowl.
On Sunday, the league might have gotten enough errors to
determine both teams that will play in the championship game in two weeks.
The most egregious gaffe came in the NFC title game in New
Orleans. The Saints were
in position to put away the Rams when Tommylee
Lewis blatantly was interfered with inside the Los Angeles 5-yard
line by cornerback Nickell
Robey-Coleman. Not only did Robey-Coleman hit Lewis early, he did so
helmet to helmet. Next weekend, we’ll hear about Robey-Coleman being fined for
the collision — even though, incredibly, no flag was thrown.
Such a big one that it kept the Rams alive. Instead of a
first down and the chance to run down the clock before making a field goal, or
score a touchdown for a bigger lead, the Saints wound up with Wil Lutz’s 31-yard
kick. That made it 23-20 with 1:41 left in regulation; plenty of time for the
Rams to march to Greg Zuerlein’s tying
48-yard field goal.
“Greg The Leg” won it with a 57-yarder in OT. His heroics
almost certainly never would have come had the call on Robey-Coleman been made.
And the fact the defender led with his head into Lewis’ helmet at a time when
the NFL is adamant that it’s doing everything to get such hits out of the sport
should be even more maddening.
Plays that wouldn’t have existed if Bill Vinovich’s crew got
it right.
An argument often is made, and rightly so, that plays seen
in slow motion become clearly illegal, but at full speed in an increasingly
fast and physical game, they look OK. That contention has no place here; even
at warp speed, Robey-Coleman’s hit was obviously a penalty.
NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron
“couldn’t believe” no penalty call was called on the play, Payton said.
A few things happened in Kansas City,
too, where the Patriots won
37-31, also in overtime. These had more to do with replay, with two critical
calls going New England’s way
in the fourth quarter.
The first, which required a lengthy video review,
involved Julian
Edelman muffing a punt. The original call was that the bouncing
ball touched him. Replays, even in stop motion, seemed inconclusive, which
means the call will stand.
But Riveron and his staff in New York saw enough evidence
that Edelman never made contact with the football. Even Kansas City’s laid-back
coach, Andy Reid, became highly demonstrative with the overturned decision. Who
could blame him considering how many dozens of such calls stick with what
on-field officials determined?
The Chiefs,
perhaps in a dose of poetic justice, soon after intercepted a pass that went
off Edelman’s hands.
But later in the quarter, Chris Hogan attempted
a one-handed catch on third down. Reid challenged, and replay indicated far
more evidence the ground helped Hogan make the catch than the previous review
showed Edelman whiffed on the ball.
No matter. The catch was upheld, and six plays later, Sony Michel scored
a touchdown.
Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford also
went offside on the Patriots’ final drive in regulation, negating an
interception by Charvarius
Ward that could have clinched a win. But there was little
controversy there.
The league has been under heavy scrutiny and drawn massive
criticism about its officiating in the last few years. The perception is that
the NFL needs full-time officials, which might help somewhat, and in part is
being done.
However, the deeper issues are too many rules and tangents
to those rules; points of emphasis that get hammered in, and then seemingly are
discarded; and officials who struggle to keep up with the speed of the sport.
The league prizes experience, but when one of its most experienced crews blows
a call so blatant that even the perpetrator acknowledges he caught a break, the
storm of protest will rage.
Rightly so.
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