{"id":74747,"date":"2019-10-17T19:16:56","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T23:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=74747"},"modified":"2021-03-12T17:15:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T22:15:15","slug":"nfl-officiating-lets-not-make-more-penalties-reviewable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/10\/17\/nfl-officiating-lets-not-make-more-penalties-reviewable\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Officiating: Let’s Not Make More Penalties Reviewable"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s no secret that the NFL has had an officiating problem for a number of seasons now. We know the story for making pass interference reviewable because of the outcome of the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> and New Orleans Saints<\/a> NFC Championship game last season but making more penalties reviewable hasn’t been the answer, either.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, through six weeks of the 2019 NFL season, we’ve witnessed how when you make a subjective call reviewable, it doesn’t even come close to how fans would expect it to be called. As of October 11, NFL head coaches are just 1-for-21 on pass interference challenges this season since Week 3. Going back to the opening of the season, there have been only seven successful challenges out of 40 instances.<\/p>\n

NFL Officiating: The Problem With Subjective Penalties<\/h2>\n

Pass interference is a tough call because at times it can look outright like a defender hindered a receiver’s inability to catch a ball and other times a mere bump that has drawn a flag.<\/p>\n

On a Week 6 Monday Night Football matchup between the Green Bay Packers<\/a> and Detroit Lions<\/a>, we witnessed Clete Blakeman<\/strong>‘s crew throw two flags on Lions defender Trey Flowers<\/a><\/strong> for illegal hands to the face. Both flags would extend two Packers drives allowing them, ultimately, to win the game, 23-22.<\/p>\n

You can see Flowers’ hands drive upward on left tackle David Bakhtiari<\/a><\/strong>‘s upper body area, but it’s unclear whether or not it was truly an illegal hand to the face. Did Flowers truly, forcefully, use his hands for an advantage? Or did Bakhtiari sell the call to help his team win the game?<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/AwfulSportsNews\/status\/1183947665912090624<\/p>\n

Regardless of which side of the call you stand on, the point is we shouldn’t use this injustice — and it’s just not this game, mind you — to make more and more rules subjected to be reviewable. Especially, if we’re going with the nature of how pass interference has been called.<\/p>\n

How Do We Improve Officiating?<\/h2>\n

Whether it’s subjective or objective — and that does indeed differ from person to person –it’ll be tough for officials to get it right. What’s the point of having the Head of Officiating, Al Riveron<\/strong>, even look at plays if they’re not going to get them right?<\/p>\n

NFL vice president of operations, Troy Vincent<\/a><\/strong>, said that they got the calling wrong when they flagged Flowers for illegal hands to the face. If less than 24 hours have passed where you acknowledge the wrong call was made, then surely a number of officials on the field and in New York can take a long time getting the call right and picking up the flag.<\/p>\n

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Vincent said the \u201cfoul wasn\u2019t there\u201d after reviewing tape of the second illegal hands to the face penalty and that it is not the kind of call you want to see officials make.https:\/\/t.co\/b4DB0eLiZl<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 15, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n