It's a good thing the NFL and referees' union avoided a labor strike this season. Because there have already been several controversial calls that fans would have rioted over if replacement refs were the ones calling them. The latest came Monday night when the Los Angeles Rams were whistled for a defensive pass interference that set up the Denver Broncos for a game-winning touchdown.
The penalty has been widely criticized as the wrong call, even by NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay who said the defender didn't do anything to significantly hinder the receiver. Regardless, the Broncos were set up for first-and-goal at the 7-yard line, and they eventually punched it in to go up 30-26 with 47 seconds left. If the NFL had a mechanism to make sure calls
in those critical moments were correct, the game might've gone differently.
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Oh, wait. The NFL does have a mechanism to make sure games are called accurately. It's called the instant replay system. And it's been relied on to get calls right since 1999... unless those calls are certain penalties, like pass interference. Then, we just have to live with those mistakes. How much sense does that make?
This is a gap in the NFL's replay system that shouldn't still exist in 2026. There's no good argument for why a call like that shouldn't be reviewable. If the worry is that using replay for penalties will unnecessarily extend games, there are ways to mitigate that effect:
- Make is so reviews could only be initiated by a replay official (coach's wouldn't be able to challenge penalties).
- The reviews would only take place in the final two minutes of each half and through overtime (the critical moments of games where certain mistakes shouldn't fly).
- Penalties like holding would only be reviewable if they were first called on the field, and they're clear and obvious misses (they could only be retracted but not issued on replay).
- Penalties like pass interference could be reviewed even it they weren't flagged (we'll call this the Saints rule).
Some might say the penalty in last night's game was subjective, that officials got it right. I tend to agree with McAulay. The defender's contact wasn't significant enough to impact the play. If anything, the receiver pulling the defender should have been flagged.
But that's where an extended replay system would've allowed for more finality. Either the refs review it and make a decision we can accept more easily than the split-second on-field decision we ended up with. Or they decline to review it, which would also tell us they didn't think it was an egregious miss. Instead, the NFL's outdated replay system has us talking about a penalty from last night's game rather than the game.
More from NFL Week 3
🐶 Deshaun Watson gives the Browns a unique new problem in the NFL's best and worst of Week 3.
📝 Deebo Samuel set some weird NFL history thanks to a 49ers trick play touchdown.
🧞♂️ This week's fantasy waiver wire includes a replacement for the injured De'Von Achane.
🩼 Kevin O'Connell had an encouraging five-word update on Justin Jefferson's ankle injury.
🐆 Trevor Lawrence left fans so confused when he kneeled at the 1-yard line... with nine minutes left in the game.
✖️ Jameis Winston made a tiring Jaxson Dart joke after leading the Giants to a whopping 12 points.
A'ja Wilson is still the MVP
The Las Vegas Aces put a 17-point beatdown on the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday, and it was a reminder of the order that still exists in the WNBA. Although the Aces finished third in the regular season standings, the defending champs are still the team to beat this postseason... and A'ja Wilson is still the league's best player.
A four-time MVP, including each of the last two years, Wilson had 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, shutting down any thoughts of a possible passing of the torch. Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark each made compelling MVP cases throughout the regular season, but neither could quite stack up to Wilson who's likely to three-peat after what was arguably her best season yet.
Her greatness was again on full display Sunday. If the Fever want to avoid elimination Tuesday, they'll have to come a lot harder in Game 2 because Wilson is on a mission.
Quick hits: Dante Moore update ... Scherzer stays ... and more
- USC has suspended Desman Stephens after his late hit that injured Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
- As for Moore, Oregon has put out a statement with more details on his injury.
- Max Scherzer refused John Schneider's attempt to pull him from his possible last game.
- Taylor Swift's Patient Zero music video has an eerie twist to it.
- The pylon cam caught the perfect shot of Iowa's walk-off win over Michigan.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: It's time the NFL expand replay review to include penalties
