It feels like this year more than ever, at both the college and professional level, refs have taken center stage and been the root of controversy. The refs once again stole the show in last nights Thursday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams. Trailing by eight with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Vikings defense forced a punt and turned the ball back over to Sam Darnold and company. Pinned inside the five-yard line, Darnold was sacked in the endzone for a safety ultimately putting the game out of reach at 30-20. But Darnold lay on the turf pulling at his facemask wanting a call that the Vikings should have gotten. Viewing the replay, Byron Young clearly pulled down Darnold by the facemask twisting Darnold’s head violently to the left. A clear and obvious call missed by the refs that put the game out of reach left both Darnold and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell in disbelief pleading with the side judge and pointing to the halo screen at SoFi Stadium.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is sacked for a safety by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young, center left, during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Facemask penalties fall into a category of an unreviewable penalty since it is a judgement call for the refs, much like pass interference. Years ago, the NFL instituted a rule that allowed coaches to challenge PI, but disbanded the rule shortly after as it was a little too close to gray area for the league. If facemask penalties were reviewable, this one would certainly be turned over. Which brings us to another interesting decision made by officials in last week’s SEC heavyweight matchup between then #1 Texas vs. #5 Georgia. On a pass interference call that went against Texas late in the game, Texas fans showered the field with cans and bottles after they saw the replay showing there was clearly no foul against the defender. After the cleanup of the garbage on the field, the white hat official made an announcement that, after discussion, there was no penalty, leaving the world of college football’s jaws on the floor. I have watched almost too much football in my lifetime for one person, and I have never seen a sequence of events like that. Which brings us back to TNF last night, should the refs have come together and discussed the blatant no-call in such a crucial point of the game? The biggest factor about what transpired in the Texas game was, while still unconventional, the refs got the call correct.
It seems that officials at the elite-college and professional level have an arrogance that makes them afraid to admit they missed a call. There is this unsustainable belief that the call on the field is the call on the field, even if we know it was wrong, we have to stick with it. These leagues have to do something about the officiating issue because too often we are seeing games be decided by the guys in stripes and not the ones in helmets. Would Minnesota have gone on to score, get the two-point conversion and tie the game? Who knows. But we were robbed of what could have been an all-time finish in a very important game for the Vikings.
I will say this to Vikings fans. This is no time to jump off the bandwagon. Yes, I know you have seen this song and dance before, but just take a deep breath and relax. You just barely lost to the best team in the NFC a week ago on a last-minute field goal, and every team that plays the Lions seems to lose the following week. This is no time to hit the panic button as I should remind you the combined record of your next three opponents is 7-13, four of those wins belong to the Colts. You still have the best wide receiver on the planet, things are going to be just fine. Look at it on the bright side, you get to blame the refs for this loss instead of getting blown out and having no one to blame but yourselves.
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