Fans can deal with an outcome when a better team beats their team. Being beaten by the refs is a different matter.
Last Sunday’s Saints vs. 49er’s game was an epic battle of two great teams. Both had a lot at stake, fighting as they were for the #1 seed in the playoffs. An illegal hit on Saints’ star tight end Jared Cook–a hit the resulted in a game-ending concussion–reduced the Saints’ passing capacity. Nonetheless, Drew Brees and the Saints kept attacking, and even though they held a 13-point lead in the first half, Cook’s loss could be felt.
That’s because this was a game where both coaches dug deeply into their playbooks to figure out a way to win. Punch-for-punch, penalty-for-penalty, non-call-for-non-call–all were vital to the game’s outcome. It boiled down to a game-changing play call–a fake punt that will be talked about for a long time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ1HC12u6sc
Taysom Hill threw to Tre’Quan Smith, but Niners’ defensive back, Tarvarius Moore, held Smith for a good 15 yards as the two went downfield. While Smith went up to catch the pass, Moore kept his back turned. Moore was not only interfered with on the play, but he also knocked Smith out of bounds before he could make a play on the ball.
Saints’ head coach Sean Payton screamed on the sidelines but. because holding is not reviewable, the ruling on the field stood–denying the Saints of a first down and, worse yet, turning over the ball to Niners with great field position. This incredibly lousy call is reminiscent of what happened in last year’s Saints vs. Rams NFC Championship game.
Elsewhere in the league, the New England Patriots faced referee challenges of their own in their face-off with the Kansas City Chiefs. With five seconds left in the third quarter, Devin McCourty knocked the ball from Travis Kelce’s hands after the pass was completed. Stephon Gilmore recovered what appeared to be a legitimate fumble. He then took off downfield to score what he thought was a touchdown. But the play was blown dead, and Bill Belichick was forced to challenge the play. Unsuccessful in that quest, the Patriots ultimately kicked a field goal, losing four points on the drive.
And that play wasn’t the only ref-directed insult to the Pats this day. N’Kneal Harry certainly scored a touchdown when he dove for the pilon, but the refs ruled him out of bounds before he reached the goal line. Multiple camera angles showed Harry was at least two inches in bounds. But the Pats were out of challenges, and (again) NE had to settle for a field goal. On those two plays alone, the refs deprived the Pats of eight points.
Was that it for ref incompetence? Not a chance! With 3:31 left in the game, the Pats had the ball third-and-6 at the Chiefs 29-yard line. Brady fired a pass to Phillip Dorsett as Chiefs’ cornerback, Kendall Fuller, initiated contact before the ball arrived. Fuller’s “Holiday Hug” didn’t bring a flag, though. Bill Belichick’s hands were tied as he shrugged for the third time in one game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azO9MLBTaB4
Obviously, officiating will never be perfect. There will always be the human element in sports officiating. But the NFL needs to clean up the mess refs are making throug egregiously bad calls. One issue is whether the NFL has “the best of the best” in pinstripes calling games.
Fans can deal with an outcome when a better team beats their team. Being beaten by the refs is an entirely different matter.
