Friday’s brief national grounding of flights by the Federal Aviation Administration has had ripple effects still being felt days later. On Sunday, the Week 10 game between the New Orleans Saints
and Carolina Panthers will not have an on-site instant replay official because of those travel disruptions. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reports that, instead, the replay center at the NFL home office in New York City will be responsible for handling that duty.It could be a recipe for disaster. The league office will be covering seven different games across the country during the early window, including this Saints-Panthers game, and there’s a real possibility they could be overwhelmed.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. The uncontested NFC South lead
is on the line with both teams tied at 3-5, and the last thing anyone wants is for this matchup to come down to the judgment of a shadowy league figure on the other side of the country. The Saints must leave no doubt that they are fielding the better team.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL officiating crew will be shorthanded in Saints vs. Panthers
