NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — New Orleans hasn’t forgotten, and neither has the media. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held his yearly state of the league press conference Wednesday ahead of Super Bowl LIII and a large portion of it was spent discussing the controversial no-call that influenced the ending of the NFC Championship game.
On the play officials missed a clear pass interference on a Rams’ defensive back that should have given the Saints an automatic first down and almost a certain victory. The missed call forced New Orleans to settle for a field goal with plenty of time on the clock for Los Angeles to answer with a field goal drive of its own.
The Rams went on to win in overtime on Greg Zeurlein’s record 57-yard field goal, punching their ticket to Atlanta for the Super Bowl.
“It’s a call that should’ve been made,” Goodell said Wednesday. “We understand the frustration of the fans. I talked with coach Payton and the players and understand how they feel right now. We certainly want to address that.”
Goodell would not promise changes, but said the NFL’s Competition Committee will look at possible solutions for missed calls, including expanding the use of replay or the challenge system.
“We will look again at instant replay,” Goodell said. “There have been a variety of proposals over the past 15 or 20 years involving the expansion of replay. It doesn’t involve judgment calls, which that was. The other issue is it was a no call. And coaches and clubs have been resistant to having a replay official or someone in New York throw a flag when no flag has been thrown.”
The commissioner also stressed football is a sport played, coached and officiated by humans, and it will never be perfect.
