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Super Bowl 53: A good call when it comes to the bad calls?

By Russell S. Baxter

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 20: Head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints reacts after a no-call between Tommylee Lewis #11 of the New Orleans Saints and Nickell Robey-Coleman #23 of the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 20: Head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints reacts after a no-call between Tommylee Lewis #11 of the New Orleans Saints and Nickell Robey-Coleman #23 of the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. /
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Hardly a surprise but there’s finally been a bit of a breakthrough as to what the NFL can do to eliminate some of those egregious penalty calls.

The angst and outrage in regards to the now-infamous non-call of pass interference against Los Angeles Rams’ cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman on New Orleans Saints’ receiver Tommylee Lewis continues to be arguably the NFL’s biggest talking point these day. This despite the fact that the Rams and New England Patriots are four days away from meeting in Super Bowl LIII at Atlanta.

Of course, there’s also the shaky roughing-the passer call on Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive tackle Chris Jones midway through the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 37-31 overtime win in the AFC Championship Game. Many have pointed to that moment as a turning point in that contest.

Regardless of how you sit with these calls, it can’t be healthy for the National Football League for the topic of officiating to be the main topic of discussion while one of two teams is hoping to hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night.

So…

On Wednesday morning, a little news was made on this front. And it could be a possible solution to some of these problems (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter):

"It is a proposal designed to get those against allowing coaches’ challenges of officials’ judgment calls more supportive of the potential rule change. By creating a disincentive or penalty to even question a judgment call, the argument will be that it will be used rarely and won’t be abused."

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Of course, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out down the road. And hopefully for the NFL, there’s not another shaky call or non-call that takes place on Sunday when Bill Belichick’s club and Sean McVay’s team clash on Super Sunday. Then again, the likelihood of more controversy seems to increase with every big game.

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