After Week 8’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, we know two things to be the truth. The Detroit Lions hangover is real, and NFL officiating still leaves a lot to be desired.
Down 28-20, a missed facemask by Los Angeles against Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold killed any hope that the Vikings had of a comeback, and once again kicked up the annual conversation of why NFL officials don’t have more help at their disposal.
At the end of the day, I get it. These athletes are moving a million miles per hour, and things are happening in a matter of seconds—so we understand officiating is difficult. With that said, it’s 2024 and I still don’t believe we are using technology to its fullest capability yet.
That brings us to today’s Question of the Day:
My Answer: Absolutely. At the end of the day, there is no real reason not to expand on replay capabilities. I have had a pretty simple solution in my head for several years now.
For each game, there should be an additional referee or “rules expert” stationed in New York City at NFL headquarters. That specific official will have a direct line to the head official they are working with that week, and they would be able to deliver real time assistance to those officiating crews down on the field. There is already something like this with the newly-added (in 2021) “replay assistance,” but their scope is too limited.
Questionable pass interference call? Pick that flag up, Bob. Ticky-tack roughing the passer penalty? Not today! Missed facemask at a critical point in the game right before a hail mary that never should have happened? (Get in line, Minnesota. You all act like you are the first team to be hurt by a blatantly bad call)
How about you? Do you think the NFL should expand on which plays can be reviewed using instant replay? Let us know in the comments below.
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Harry How/Getty ImagesThe officials owned up to missing a facemask call against Sam Darnold late in the fourth quarter of the Minnesota Vikings' loss to the Los
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