NFL says "oops" about missed penalties in championships

[Mr. Laz]

Missed Penalties in the NFL Championship Games

Head of Officiating Acknowledges Mistakes Were Made

Jan 27, 2010 Don Millirones

Two fifteen yard roughing the passer penalties would have benefited both of the teams which eventually lost. The outcome of the games might have been effected.

The Vice-President of NFL Officiating, Mike Pereira, acknowledged to the public in his Official Review segment on the NFL networks Total Access television show that aired on Wednesday the 27th that there were missed roughing the passer calls in both of the conference championship games played on January 24th, 2010. One of the plays resulted in an injury to one of the NFL's superstars.
Bullitt Slams Into Sanchez

In the first game, the visiting New York Jets were trailing the Indianapolis Colts by 3 points in the 3rd quarter of play. With seven minutes and nineteen seconds remaining in the quarter, Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez takes the snap and hands off the ball to his running back, Thomas Jones. The play results in five yards as Jones runs around the right end of the offensive line and is tackled. However, a flag is on the field.


Wayne Hunter, the Jets offensive tackle, is penalized for holding. The referees failed to notice that after Sanchez handed off the ball that blitzing Colts safety Melvin Bullitt continued at full speed for several steps and drove his shoulder into Sanchez's torso knocking him to the ground. The head coach of the Jets, Rex Ryan, lost his cool and went on an expletive laden tirade on the sideline when roughing the passer was not called. The Jets eventually punted on the drive.
Favre Hit High and Low

In the second game, the visiting Minnesota Vikings were tied at 21 points with the New Orleans Saints with two minutes and six seconds remaining in the third quarter. Vikings quarterback Brett Favre takes the snap, drops back under pressure, and throws the ball. It is intercepted by the formidable Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and he is tackled after a short return. Favre remained laying on the field for several moments before limping to the sideline.

Replays showed that Saints defensive end Bobby McCray came in low behind Favre and dove at the back of his knees in violation of NFL regulations designed to protect the passer after star quarterbacks such as New England's Tom Brady and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer were injured on similar plays. In addition to the shot at the back of the knees on Favre, Saints defensive tackle Remi Ayodele simultaneously comes in high and lands on the quarterback as he is crumpling to the ground. The penalty would have given the ball back to the Vikings. With Favre needing his ankle taped, it might have resulted in backup Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson taking the field for a few snaps.

Conspicuously absent from the Official Review segment was any discussion of the defensive pass interference call in the overtime period of the Viking and Saints game where Vikings linebacker Ben Leber was penalized for 12 yards while covering Saints tight end David Thomas. Replays showed that there was no contact and Leber was upset on the field about the call. Whether the ball was catchable is also up for debate; Pereira did tell Brian Billick in a Fox Sports interview that the ball was clearly, in his mind, catchable. The penalty put the Saints into field goal range and they won the game four plays later on the foot of their Placekicker Garrett Hartley.