The NFL has admitted errors were made in the NFC championship between the Rams and Saints.
The Saints were hosed after a pass interference wasn’t called late in the game. The Rams won in overtime and punched a ticket to the Super Bowl. It’s without a doubt one of the worst officiating decisions in league history, and it has resulted in multiple lawsuits. (RELATED: Drew Brees Releases Emotional Statement About Blown Pass Interference Call)
There wasn’t a flag thrown on this play. The NFL should be embarrassed. pic.twitter.com/qL2dTyonEb
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) January 20, 2019
The league appeared to be pretty much silent on the matter at first. But now we have an inside look the situation thanks to some court filings. Attorney’s for the NFL wrote the following in a brief after a lawsuit from two season ticket holders was filed, according to The New York Post Monday night:
Because the officials on the field are humans, like the players and coaches, errors will happen. The NFL parties do not dispute that they have previously advised the Saints, including the club’s head coach, that one or more penalties for pass interference or illegal helmet-to-helmet contact were mistakenly not called late in the NFC Championship Game, and that the NFL would like its officials on the field to make these calls.
The same report claims the NFL doesn’t feel it actually has the power to change or influence the outcome of the game. That would seem to be incorrect depending on how you interpret the rules as they’re written.
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Message from our quarterback Check his page @drewbrees for the full letter #Saints
Well, there it is, folks. The league admitted that “errors will happen.” Now, we can all go back to bed and rest easy at night knowing the league is well aware of what a disastrous no-call that was.
I’m not sure we’re going to get a whole lot more than what comes out of these lawsuits. The league doesn’t want to get its hands dirty, and the more attention they bring to it, the worse it will get. (RELATED: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Could Intervene On The Outcome Of The Rams Vs. Saints Game)
Besides, the Super Bowl is in a few days. Trust me, the last thing Roger Goodell wants to focus on is whether or not the Saints should be there instead of the Rams.
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What an unreal situation all the way around. Hopefully, the NFL figures out a way for this to never happen again.