Roger Goodell Speaks Out About Missed Call In NFC Championship Game: “We Will Look Again At Instant Replay”

The controversy from the NFC Championship game still stems as fans, especially Saints fans feel there is a need for some form of advanced replay system to make the correct call.

Goodell Responds To Pass Interference no-Call In Saints-Rams Game

During the NFC Championship game on Jan. 20 it was late in the 4th quarter, when Drew Brees threw a pass to Tommylee Lewis. The safety, seeing Lewis was open, hit him before the ball was in his possession and knocked Lewis to the the turf. No flag was thrown.

Typically this called a pass interference penalty and even a helmet-to-helmet. But the referee did not see it that way, and did not rule that a penalty. Had the call been made the Saints would have received a first down and would have been in field goal range to seal the game. Instead the Los Angeles Rams got the ball back, sent the game into overtime and eventually won.

Star players such as JJ Watt, James Harrison, Ryan Shazier and members of the media alike voiced their frustrations over the call on social media.

There needs to be some form of accountability. NEEDS to be.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 20, 2019

We need to fix this. ASAP. It’s destroying the integrity of or sport !!

— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) January 20, 2019

Winner: Rams. Screwed: Saints. Loser: NFL and the officials who didn’t see that interference call late in regulation. Embarrassment. #SuperFraud

— Greg Cote (@gregcote) January 20, 2019

Commissioner Roger Goodell has come under fire from the players and the media alike in the past for not always making the appropriate decision. Regarding the call he had this to say:”We will look again at instant replay,” Goodell said at his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference. “There have been a variety of proposals over the last, frankly, 15, 20 years on whether replay should be expanded. It does not cover judgment calls; this was a judgment call. The other complication is that it was a no-call.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The no-call was so bad and infuriating it made both fans and players want additional review to be made, after feeling the officials’ judgment was no longer absolute.

“Our officials are human”: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell breaks silence on controversial no-call during NFC championship game https://t.co/1luYs8jDmi pic.twitter.com/0Jmfl4mSMs

— CNN (@CNN) January 30, 2019

The referees are only human, which is why there’s space for human error during officiating. With a call this big blown, the NFL has a lot to think about during this offseason.

Click here for the In Memoriam: Sports Figures Who Died In 2018 Slideshow