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In the case of officiating, NFL followers — to not point out gamers and coaches — have a tendency to recollect the misses or errors, actual or perceived, greater than calls that have been proper, notably in late-season video games. Mike Pereira, who as soon as was answerable for the oldsters in stripes making these split-second selections, has a vivid reminiscence of 1 explicit appropriate ruling that helped decide the end result of a Tremendous Bowl.
It got here on Feb. 1, 2009, when Ben Roethlisberger connected with a leaping Santonio Holmes on a 6-yard landing go in a again nook of the top zone with 35 seconds left, serving to the Pittsburgh Steelers edge Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. Did Holmes get each toes in earlier than falling out of bounds? Did he have management of the ball?
Discipline choose Greg Gautreaux ran over to the spot and rapidly raised his arms, indicating the reply to each questions: Sure. After a replay assistant’s overview, the TD stood.
“It was a tricky, robust name. The sport ended proper after that, and I raced right down to the locker room. I went proper to (Gautreaux), and I stated: ‘You made the most effective calls I’ve seen within the Tremendous Bowl.’ And he began to cry,” stated Pereira, a former on-field NFL official who later ran the league’s program. “That simply advised you the way necessary that stage is, with the 130 million individuals which can be watching it and the stress that’s on you. I’ll always remember the decision. It was that good.”
With the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers set to play in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Sunday, listed here are some examples of NFL officiating that drew consideration — and criticism — throughout this common season and high-profile postseason video games from the latest previous:
THE 2023 REGULAR SEASON
Packers 27, Chiefs 19 in Week 13 (Dec. 3)
Again when attending to the Tremendous Bowl appeared much less doubtless for the defending champion Chiefs than it turned out to be, a throw from Patrick Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling from the 50 down contained in the 5 was dominated incomplete — regardless that defensive again Carrington Valentine was all around the receiver. There have been different questionable calls down the stretch in that one. “Clearly, the man was most likely a bit of early,” Mahomes stated in regards to the play to Valdes-Scantling, “however on the finish of the sport, they’re letting guys play. I’m sort of about that.”
Bills 20, Chiefs 17 in Week 14 (Dec. 10)
With a bit of greater than a minute remaining, Kansas Metropolis appeared to attain a go-ahead landing when Mahomes threw a go to tight finish Travis Kelce, who — simply as he was going to be tackled — lateraled the ball to receiver Kadarius Toney, who raced to the top zone. However simply because the Chiefs have been beginning to have fun, they realized the rating was erased by an offside penalty known as on Toney. Commissioner Roger Goodell used that play for instance of the scrutiny officers face, saying Monday in Las Vegas: “That was completely the best name.” Certainly, it was: Toney was lined up too far ahead at first of the play. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was upset, although, as a result of officers often give a heads-up when a participant is lined up within the impartial zone.
Cowboys 20, Lions 19 in Week 17 (Dec. 30)
Detroit, which might go on to succeed in the NFC championship recreation, appeared to have taken the lead with 23 seconds to go on a 2-point conversion go from Jared Goff to offensive lineman Taylor Decker. However the officers waved it off, saying Decker hadn’t correctly reported as an eligible receiver — one thing the Lions disputed. That recreation additionally had one other questionable ruling: A flag was thrown for a tripping penalty on Dallas tight finish Peyton Hendershot, regardless that it was dedicated by Detroit defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson.
RECENT SUPER BOWLS
Super Bowl 57 (Feb. 12, 2023): Chiefs 38, Eagles 35
With the rating tied and fewer than 2 minutes left, Philadelphia’s James Bradberry was known as for a defensive holding penalty on Kansas Metropolis’s Juju Smith-Schuster, permitting the Chiefs to maintain the ball and run down the clock earlier than making an attempt a go-ahead area purpose. Some thought the contact was minimal sufficient to make it incorrect to name at such an important second, however none apart from Bradberry himself stated: “It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I hoped they’d let it slide.”
Super Bowl 56 (Feb. 13, 2022): Rams 23, Bengals 20
There have been two penalties within the first 58 minutes, then flags on three consecutive performs down the stretch, together with one on a defensive participant just like the decision towards Bradberry. Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson was whistled for holding when he batted the ball away from Rams receiver Cooper Kupp on a throw from Matthew Stafford with lower than 2 minutes to go. That gave Los Angeles the ball on the 4 whereas trailing Cincinnati 20-16; finally Stafford hit Tremendous Bowl MVP Kupp for a 1-yard TD.
Super Bowl 40 (Feb. 5, 2006): Steelers 21, Seahawks 10
There have been no less than two curious calls towards Seattle — holding on offensive lineman Sean Locklear and a low block on quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on the return of an interception by Pittsburgh’s Ike Taylor — and 4 1/2 years later, referee Invoice Leavy acknowledged there have been errors. “I impacted the sport,” he stated, “and as an official, you by no means wish to do this.”
AN INFAMOUS NO-CALL
NFC title game (Jan. 20, 2019): Rams 26, Saints 23, OT
This may simply be probably the most notorious officiating name — effectively, no-call — of all: Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman may have been cited for go interference and helmet-to-helmet contact for flattening Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis contained in the 10-yard line with 1:45 left within the fourth quarter of a recreation that was tied. Two officers have been proper close by; neither tossed a flag. “Sooner or later, it’s a must to settle for it and transfer on,” Drew Brees, the Saints quarterback that day, advised the AP. “It brings again numerous unhealthy reminiscences, although. We have been on our option to the Tremendous Bowl.”
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Republished with permission of The Related Press.
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