Saints fans wanted offensive pass interference on the Vikings’ game-ending touchdown

Honestly, this kind of scenario felt inevitable: The New Orleans Saints’ season coming down to a now-reviewable, pass interference no-call.

It was always going to end that way.

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Saints, 26-20, in overtime of Sunday’s NFC Wild Card matchup in New Orleans. And of course, the game-winning touchdown catch from Kyle Rudolph immediately came under scrutiny from Saints fans. It appeared that Rudolph extended his arm and pushed off on P.J. Williams as he hauled in the pass from Kirk Cousins.

There was no pass interference call on the field, and the officials opted to not even review the potential penalty.

.@KirkCousins8 to @KyleRudolph82 for the @Vikings walkoff win in OT. pic.twitter.com/aXSJllOqpB

— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2020

The league made pass interference a reviewable play after the Saints-Rams debacle in the NFC Championship Game, but throughout the season, the league held an excessively high standard to overturn pass-interference calls/no-calls. It was unlikely that a review would have changed the result, but Saints fans (and other NFL fans) certainly thought that pass interference should have been called on Rudolph.

I don’t care about either team but Rudolph pushed off 100%

— BEN BALLER™ 🧢 (@BENBALLER) January 5, 2020

Push off

— Ninja (@Ninja) January 5, 2020

That’s OPI. Clear full extension push off

— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 5, 2020

If that's not a push off…
I don't know what is OPI#Saints #Vikings#VikingsvsSaints pic.twitter.com/16pLaCw7RY

— Russell Hartness (@RussellHartness) January 5, 2020

That's a push off, but can't imagine that will get called. We'll see y'all for the off-season.

— AllSaintsConsidered.com (@AllSaintsBlog) January 5, 2020

Push off lol what are we suppose to do . He pushing us away …full arm extension https://t.co/Ps3dimRApi

— Tony Jefferson (@_tonyjefferson) January 5, 2020

I hate to be this guy, because we know I hate officiating, but that is 100% a push off. He extends the arm creating distance and pushing the defender out. Clean arm extension to create space.

— Kevin Adams (@KevinAdams26) January 5, 2020

That's a push off. Exorcise demons in New Orleans?

— Brad Evans (@NoisyHuevos) January 5, 2020

Have to agree opi but good no call lol https://t.co/N3LD8LYwT8

— Kamar Aiken Sr (@KamarAiken88) January 5, 2020

#Saints #Skol #WildCardWeekend

NFL replay center after that push off: pic.twitter.com/QzHJAmm9zB

— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) January 5, 2020

I can’t believe the @NFL didn’t review this blatant push off what did the #Saints ever do to them pic.twitter.com/UD7ClCyreV

— Tom Gilmartin (@gilmartin_tom) January 5, 2020

The Saints will now have an entire offseason to complain about officiating, so there’s that.