Support for including pass interference under the purview of replay review reached a zenith after the New Orleans Saints were robbed on a crucial no-call late in their overtime loss to the the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. Responding to widespread pressure from players, coaches, and fans alike, NFL owners voted 31-1 earlier this week to allow offensive and defensive pass interference to be subject to a coach's challenge, with a booth review being initiated in the last two minutes of each half, even if no flag was initially called on the play.
The lone holdout? Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, who explained the justification behind his lone dissenting vote on Wednesday.
“The reason that we are against it is that it interrupts the game. It changes the character of the game, in my mind,” he said, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “I think it's in some ways sort of odd to see people all sitting there waiting for somebody in New York to tell them it is or it isn't. I'd rather just play the game.”
Brown, 83, also criticized the evolution of replay review in general, lamenting the fact that judgement calls by officials will now be included in a process he believes can take away from the integrity of the game.
“When they put it in, they were smart enough to restrict it more than it is today,” he said. “And it was supposed to be used only when the play had a big impact on the game. Otherwise, you weren't supposed to use it. Well, it evolved over time, and now they use it in all kinds of situations. I don't think that's good for the game. It is the fact that there's going to be officiating error, but it's also the fact that instant replay doesn't always correct it. It actually compounds the problem on occasion.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell voiced initial support for making pass interference reviewable by coach's challenge in the aftermath of the NFC Championship game. The new rules will be implemented on a trial basis next season.
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