The NFL finally overturned a PI call… AGAINST THE SAINTS
By John Buhler
The NFL finally decided to overturn a non-pass interference call in a game. It happened against the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Wow.
Last January, the New Orleans Saints were victims of a terrible non-pass interference call against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. It should have been a pass interference call on the Rams, but the officials missed it. The Rams would go on to win the NFC Championship and things got ugly from there.
Saints fans boycotted the Super Bowl and a run was instituted the following season, as any pass interference call or non-call could be challenged by an NFL head coach. The controversial Saints rule has rarely been overturned by NFL officials this season. But it did on Sunday, against the Saints, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome against the division rival Carolina Panthers.
On a third-and-3, Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen attempted a pass to wide receiver Jarius Wright from the Saints’ five-yard line. It was incomplete, but Panthers head coach Ron Rivera made a gamble to say that his receiver was interfered with on the play. After further review, the NFL officials did overturn the call and gave it to the Panthers on a first-and-goal.
It was only fitting that the Panthers would come away with no points on that extended possession. The game was all tied up at 31 apiece. It wasn’t just Allen’s inefficiency in the red zone that did the Panthers in. It was a dreadful day from kicker Joey Slye, as he missed a chip-shot field goal that would have put the Panthers up three. He also missed two PATs in the game.
New Orleans would take over from its own four-yard line and then proceeded to march down the field. The Saints moved the sticks enough to set up a game-winning 33-yard field goal off the leg of New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz. New Orleans would win this one by the skin of its teeth, 34-31.
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Had the Panthers gone on to win this game, the Who Dats would have been beyond furious. Not only would the rule that only exists because of the Saints’ NFC Championship loss last postseason have done them in, but it would have happened in their building once again, this time to a division rival that is fighting for a playoff berth. Fortunately for the Saints, Carolina couldn’t kick today.