For years people have clamored for full-time referees in the NFL. For years the NFL has made excuses for not employing them. Changes have been made to replay to make incorrect calls correct. We have TV cameras which can tell us just about every single call in a game and whether it was correct or not yet we have a weekend like this past one where referees wrong calls (or non-calls) again, determine the outcome of three of the four football games.
Saturday starts with the Bills. Up 13-0 at half-time, the Bills kick off to the Texans. Texans kick returner, instead of “declaring himself down by: 1. falling to the ground, or kneeling, AND clearly making no immediate effort to advance” as is required by NFL Football operations Rules, he instead, flips the ball to an official who moves away from the live ball. The live ball is recovered in the end zone by quick thinking Bills player and referee, who is in charge of the play and who was standing within feet of the titans return man, correctly rules touchdown. What happens next, however, defies logic and the rules. Onto the field run two men dressed all in black. At first glance I thought they were coaches from the Texans staff running out to object to the call. Instead they turned out to be “Alternate referees”. Now I’ve watched an awful lot of football in my 62 years on this earth and I’ve heard about the NFL having “alternate referees” in case a real referee gets injured or sick during a game. That said, however, I’ve never seen one (or two in this case) run onto the field and attempt to convince the referee in charge of making a call to change that call. Here, that is exactly what happened. it wasn’t a case of the other “real” referees getting together to discuss the ruling and its propriety. Rather, it was two guys with no normal input into the game who got the referee in charge to change his call. That is beyond disturbing for many reasons. For one, the referee made the CORRECT call on the field based upon the literal reading of the rules. He made no effort to kneel, fall on the ground or otherwise do what was necessary to have a touch-back called. Instead, he caught the ball and flipped it to the ground in direct violation of the rules. It was a touchdown. Secondly, the call made by the referee in charge was a subjective call which was not review able under the rules. There was no authority anywhere within the rules for his call to be reviewed much less reversed. Instead, the NFL hierarchy evidently got the alternates to convince him that this was a bad look for the NFL, rather than a bad play by the returner. Instead of being 20-0 (with successful extra point) it was 13-0. We all know how those 7 points would come back to haunt the Bills.
Not to be outdone, the referees made three more egregious calls (or in two of the cases non-calls) which sealed the Bills fate later in the game.
The first was the flagrant helmet to helmet hit on Allen during OT when he was running a QB sweep at midfield. The tackler hit Allen so hard with his helmet into Allen’s face that Allen’s chin strap was actually ripped off. Instead of a 15 yard penalty which would have put the Bills in relatively easy field goal position to win the game, the Bills were forced to punt.
The second blown call came on the next Bills drive. Allen again ran around the right side to the Texans 38 yard line which would have made the Bills decide whether to kick a 55 yard field goal. Instead, our offensive lineman was called for a “blindside” crack back block and the Bills were penalized 15 yards thus eliminating the possibility of a FG. A look at the call on replay clearly showed that the Bills blocker was face to face with the defender. Former head of NFL referee Mike Perriera told those that wanted to listen that this was not a penalty. Wish those alternate referees had input on this call also.
Lastly, on the Titans winning drive they were faced with a 3rd and 18 from deep in their own territory. Clearly, before the snap, the 25 second play clock had expired. A five yard delay of game penalty should have resulted. Instead, the referees (and alternate refs by the way) ignored the clear violation, allowed the ball to be put into play and the resulting 18 yard gain to stand. Three plays later the Texans kicked the game winning field goal. I’ve seen two separate photographs which both show, from different angles, that the play clock was at zero before the ball was snapped. In one, Bills LB Matt Milano is clearly pointing at the play clock to show the ref’s that it had expired. In spite of this, no call was made and Texans go on to win the game. Complete BS.
Yesterday’s games saw similar ineptitude. On the game winning TD in OT replays clearly show 6’6” TE Rudolph push off on much smaller Saints cornerback to gain separation and catch the game winning TD. It was clear and it was flagrant. The CB’s head and upper body snapped back due to the blow. Instead of an offensive Pass Interference call and a third down and goal at the 20 yard line, the game was over. Since it was in OT, the Saints couldn’t even challenge the call. The NFL claimed it reviewed the call and decided there was no clear interference. Even the NFL’s own shills on their post game show said it was clearly interference. The Saints, for the second year in a row, lose a playoff game on a blown interference call.
Lastly, in yesterday’s Eagles/Sea Hawks game we saw Jadavian Clowney clearly dive head first into Eagles QB Wentz while Wentz was on the ground and drive his helmet into Wentz’s resulting in a concussion and him being forced out of the game. In spite of the helmet to helmet hit no penalty was called and the Eagles lost their starting QB in a 17-9 loss.
Something needs to be done here. We have the technology to make incorrect calls correct. It’s simple. People worry about delays. What delays the game most are the incessant TV Time outs or explanations given by incompetent referees. I propose the following: EACH COACH HAS TWO CHALLENGES. HE CAN CHALLENGE ANYTHING. HE CAN CHALLENGE PASS INTERFERENCE, HOLDING, OFF SIDES, PLAY CLOCK VIOLATION, ROUGHING THE PASSER CALLS. HE CAN CHALLENGE ANYTHING. THING IS HE ONLY HAS TWO. IF HE IS CORRECT, HE STILL HAS TWO. IF WRONG HE’S DOWN TO ONE. NO MORE CHALLENGES FROM THE BOOTH IN THE LAST TWO MINUTES OF HALF, GAME OR OT. NO MORE AUTOMATIC REVIEW OF ALL TOUCHDOWNS OR FUMBLES/INTERCEPTIONS. TWO CHALLENGES. USE THEM WISELY BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL YOU’VE GOT. Game gets sped up. Coaches face issues with challenges. Save them for late in game or use them early.
The NFL clearly won’t due what’s best for the game by getting better refs. this may help.