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A lot to unpack today, but let’s talk about the replay rules.

Darnold No-Call: Maybe this one didn’t matter. The next one might.

After yanking Sam Darnold’s head nearly 90 degrees, Rams pass-rusher Byron Young glanced at the official, who had a clear view of the play. The penalty felt inevitable. So, instead of celebrating a game-winning safety, Young grabbed his head with two hands — the universal sign of distress.

Before that play, there were slim chances of Minnesota’s final drive traversing 95 yards and then including the necessary two-pointer, all just to tie it up late. As The Athletic’s Mike Sando alluded, the history-based odds sat at 7.4 percent. Their in-game odds were even lower (2 percent, per PFF’s Timo Riske).

Still, Young was justifiably concerned. A face-mask penalty would’ve given the Vikings a first down at their 20, undoubtably improving their odds in the final 96 seconds. And, again, the referee was right there, with this camera capturing his view:

Are you making that call? It looks awfully close to a shoulder pull. But there is helmet movement, right. Not easy without a replay. “We did not see it, so we couldn’t call it,” said referee Tra Blake. Fair.

Thankfully, all scoring plays are reviewable. You check upstairs. Thirty seconds later, the call is made. Face mask. Young’s worry is realized, and the Vikings’ drive continues.

But of course, that can’t happen. Despite years of proposals to make these penalties reviewable (reportedly several times by the Rams!), a face-mask call cannot be reviewed. Ever. Even if a play is already being reviewed — as all scoring plays are — Sections 3 and 4 of Rule 15 in the NFL Rulebook remove the officials’ ability to fix this call.

It shouldn’t be this way. The NFL’s history of instant replay is a frustrating read. Experimenting since 1976, replays were shelved multiple times. Understandably, they wanted to avoid lengthy review periods, though “taking the human element out of the game” was one complaint voiced by a Competition Committee chairman.

Thankfully, Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles could change this. Recently added to the NFL’s Competition Committee, Bowles saw the danger of a missed face-mask when it played a crucial part of their Week 5 loss in Atlanta. “I think it should be reviewed from the top,” he told ESPN’s Jenna Laine the following day.

Refs missed a late 4th quarter facemask by the Falcons on Bucky Irving, called just holding instead and pushed the Bucs out of field goal/ending the game range

This forced them to punt with a 3 point lead and allowed ATL to tie it #TBvsATL pic.twitter.com/czg6mc1Utc

— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) October 4, 2024

With fans estimated to wager $35 billion on NFL games this year, we can wait a few minutes (or seconds) for a face-mask review in a scoring situation. The referee’s egos will survive. And with players risking their health on every play, the “human element” is never removed.

As for Young, all he really had to worry about was the inevitable fine from the league office. They’ll be happy to review that one.

For more from last night’s game, listen to Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen on “The Athletic Football Show,” which includes a breakdown of the Vikings’ defensive struggles.

Four great Week 8 matchups

Eagles at Bengals. Can someone say shootout? In three games against competent offenses — GB, ATL, TB — Philly allowed 28 points and 414.6 yards per game. Spread across a season, those marks would rank 31st and 32nd, respectively. If you remove the Browns and Giants games (but include Jacoby Brissett’s Patriots and Andy Dalton’s Panthers), Cincinnati’s allowing 29 points and 365.4 yards per game. Ja’Marr Chase and A.J. Brown — a pivotal piece of the Eagles’ offensive identity — should have a field day. (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS.)

The Chargers’ J.K. Dobbins against the Saints defense. He hasn’t broken a run longer than 20 yards since Week 2, but that should end against a defense allowing 146.7 rushing yards per game (fourth-most) and the most rushes for 20-plus yards (nine). Javonte Williams posted 88 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans last week. Dobbins should be even better. (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX.)

Russell Wilson against the Giants defense. His Week 7 debut was an undeniable success, with his trademark deep ball aligning perfectly with Arthur Smith’s zone-heavy rushing and play-action scheme. Mike DeFabo recently shared the origins of Wilson’s moonball, which helped him complete five passes of 20-plus yards in Week 7, including this bomb:

But Wilson’s biggest strength will be tested against defense allowing the fourth-fewest passes of 16-plus yards (3.1 per game). He also was only sacked once, arguably the most impressive stat for a QB who has taken nearly as many sacks (528) as Tom Brady (565), despite playing 10 fewer years. Good luck: The Giants are averaging 4.43 sacks per game, so far the most for any team since the 1989 Vikings. (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN.)

Also in that game: Malik Nabers against Joey Porter Jr. As ESPN’s Mike Clay noted in his review of WR/CB matchups, Porter has shadowed No. 1 receivers when they line up on the boundary. With Nabers lining out wide on 75 percent of his snaps, per TruMedia, he should see plenty of Porter, who is allowing just 36.3 yards per game in coverage.

What Dianna’s Hearing: Bryce Young’s return — and his trade value

With Andy Dalton sidelined by a thumb injury suffered in a car accident, Bryce Young goes back under center on Sunday for the Panthers. On today’s episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, co-host Chase Daniel and I discussed whether that’s a good thing.

Dianna: The sentiment shared with me is: They need to play Young. They need to get him on the field so other teams can see what he can do.

Chase: I disagree. He’s going to hurt his trade value. They’re playing the Broncos. They’re the No. 3 defense in football. They’re No. 1 in pressure rate. Carolina has the second-worst offensive line behind New England. It’s going to get worse. You have a chance for him to get hurt. I would stash him and trade him in the offseason.

Dianna: I had a long talk with one of Bryce’s coaches from Alabama recently. Did we miss something? And he said: He has it. He just needs the right people around him. He’s not getting the right coaching. So that’s what I want to ask you, where would you want him to go?

Chase: Go to Kevin O’Connell. Go to Minnesota.

Dianna: What about Sean McVay?

Chase: Here’s one that might sound crazy: Go to freaking Andy Reid. Go be a backup. You don’t have to play if you’re not ready. There’s guys out there that will fix him for sure.

Back to you, Jacob.

Comeback

For this new Friday section, I’m sharing three stories you might have missed. All are deeper looks into the lives of players and coaches we watch every Sunday.

Kyle Hamilton: ‘Chasing perfection’

Ravens star safety Kyle Hamilton was named a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his second season, but at just 23, his sights are set higher: “I’m chasing myself in five years. I feel like I’ll always be chasing perfection, because I know what I can be.” If you’re hoping to raise a future pro athlete, Jeff Zrebiec’s story on Hamilton’s remarkable upbringing is a must.

‘80,000 Uncrustables a year’

I would never have guessed that a crustless, peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich was Brock Purdy’s pregame meal for last year’s Super Bowl. But of course it is. As Jayson Jenks explains in his story on the NFL’s favorite sandwich: “NFL teams go through anywhere from 3,600 to 4,300 Uncrustables a week.” Finally, the perfect excuse to eat more PB&J.

Lori Locust: ‘Nobody worked harder’

She sold insurance to support her sons. She drove five hours from home to attend practices, often sleeping in her car afterwards. But after a decade of sacrifice, she was the Buccaneers’ assistant defensive line coach, the first female position coach in NFL history. She won a Super Bowl two years later. If you’re looking for inspiration, read the incredible story of Lori Locust.

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(Photo: scoutersey / reddit)