Two years ago, both the L.A. Rams (hard to say that again) and the New England Patriots are two teams that benefitted from NFL officiating during championship game weekend.
by Brent Maze
Every Saints fan is still angry with the NFL, and they have a right to be. The non-call on the pass interference penalty was one of the worst penalties in the history of the NFL. It ranks up there with one of the all-time most controversial plays.
There have been a plethora of controversial calls from the Tuck Rule to the Immaculate Reception. The entire game of Super Bowl XL appeared to be rigged due to one-sided officiating.
The 2019 NFC Championship Game is going to be added to the list. Every person could see that it was pass interference except the ref watching the play unfold. Not only was it pass interference, it was also helmet-to-helmet contact, which is a personal foul.
This year, we had another close call, but I think the NFL got it right. At Lambeau Field, a referee called the Packers for pass interference on a close call that pretty much sealed the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers’ trip to the Super Bowl.
Of course, the beneficiary was Tom Brady, who has been on the good end of many of these close calls.
While you can argue about that penalty, that play didn’t decide the game. The Packers allowed Brady to throw to a wide-open receiver before the half and then turned it over immediately after halftime.
If either of those plays doesn’t happen, the Packers win.
Brent can be reached at brent@newtoncountyappeal.com.
