MINNEAPOLIS — Maybe Alberto Riveron is not a Patriots fan after all.
The NFL vice president of officiating has come under fire this season for seemingly always siding with the Patriots on replay calls. But in Super Bowl LII, he went against them.
The replay decision actually went the Eagles’ way twice. The first play in question happened midway through the third quarter. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles connected with running back Corey Clement for a 22-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to give the Eagles a 28-19 lead before the extra point.
It appeared as if Clement may have bobbled the ball, though, as he was going out of the back of the end zone. After a lengthy review, the call stood.
“I really wasn’t too nervous,” Clement said,” but at the same time, when they slow everything down you kind of get the bubble guts and you’re like, ‘Damn. Did I really catch it? I knew I secured it. It was all about the feet. At the same time, you have to make big plays when big plays are brought to you.”
Then, on the game-winning touchdown by tight end Zach Ertz with 2:21 left, the officials again took their time confirming the touchdown. On this play, Ertz caught the ball near the 5-yard-line, took a few steps and then dove into the end zone. As the football hit the end zone, it popped out of his hand. It looked clear Ertz scored, but you never know when the Patriots are involved.
Some of the Eagles were anxious to see the call.
“You really can’t worry about it because at the end of the day it’s like a weird rule,” wide receiver Nelson Agholor said. “Like the guy catches a slant … takes it two steps and then on his own will dives in to score, it’s a touchdown. It’s obvious.”
Both calls were examples of the issues with the controversial catch rule that have hung over the NFL all season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last week the league is going to examine the catch rule this offseason and hopefully make it clearer what a catch is.
The Patriots have been involved in their fair share of controversial replay decisions this season, always coming out on top.
The Jets had one early in the season when Austin Seferian-Jenkins appeared to score a touchdown. But upon review, the touchdown was wiped out because the officials did not feel he regained control of the ball before crossing the goal line and going out of bounds. They ruled it a fumble out of bounds even though the ball never touched the ground.
The biggest call of the season came in a Patriots-Steelers game in December that was critical for AFC playoff seeding. The Steelers appeared to score a game-winning touchdown on a catch by tight end Jesse James. Instead, the officials overruled the score and the Steelers wound up losing the game.
On Sunday night, though, the calls finally went against the Patriots.