With NFL owners voting to make offensive and defensive pass interference reviewable, everyone’s talking about how the New Orleans Saints should have been in the Super Bowl. After all, this rule change came in response to the missed call against Nickell Robey-Coleman, who clearly interfered with Tommylee Lewis late in the fourth quarter of the NFC championship game.
There are countless calls fans can go back and watch and say the officials missed, but the NFL competition committee admitted a huge incompletion in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl should have been ruled pass interference.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the committee said the Patriots would’ve been called for pass interference on the play where Brandin Cooks couldn’t haul in a deep pass because Stephon Gilmore grabbed his arm, had it been reviewable as it is now.
Here’s the play in question, which was a very catchable pass for Cooks. If pass interference were called, the Rams would’ve gotten the ball at the 1-yard line down seven points with just 4:24 left in the game.
On the very next play, Jared Goff threw an ugly interception, which helped seal the win for the Patriots.
It’s surprising the NFL would admit a missed call like this almost two full months after the fact, especially with all the controversy already swirling around the NFC championship game.
Needless to say, this admission won’t make Rams fans feel any better about L.A.’s 13-3 loss to the Patriots.
