The cry for expanded replay after that non-call affected the outcome of Sunday’s NFC Championship between the Saints and Rams hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
The NFL will discuss this offseason the possibility of making pass interference penalties reviewable, according to reports. The issue will be talked about “at length,” along with additional fouls coaches believe should be reviewed, according to the Washington Post. This comes after the Saints were robbed of a chance to reach the Super Bowl by the game officials when pass interference was not called late in the fourth quarter Sunday.
The league’s competition committee generally ramps up its discussions shortly after the Super Bowl and any proposal for a rule change is traditionally made prior to the March league meetings. Any change would have to be approved by at least 24 of the 32 owners.
This wouldn’t be the first time the competition committee would take up the subject, but there has been plenty of opposition in the past to judgement calls becoming reviewable. That could change after what transpired Sunday.
Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement Monday that she will “aggressively pursue changes in NFL policies to ensure no team and fan base is ever put in a similar position again.”
On third-and-10 from the Los Angeles 13-yard-line with less than two minutes remaining in regulation and the score tied 20-20, the Saints’ Tommylee Lewis was clobbered by Nickell Robey-Coleman of the Rams before the pass arrived. No flag was thrown and the Rams went on to win 26-23 in overtime.
League officials later told Saints coach Sean Payton that the call was blown and Robey-Coleman admitted that it “was PI.”