Sean Payton has won. The New Orleans Saints coach banged the table all week at the NFL owners meetings for expanded replay review of pass interference penalties, and he has gotten his wish
“All offensive and defensive pass interference calls, as well as non-calls” will be able to be challenged starting with the 2019 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. For a while it seemed like the league was destined to make no major changes, but they clearly reversed course at some point.
As Ian Rapoport notes, if the play in question happens in the final two minutes of either way, it will be eligible for a booth review.
It's a complete overhaul of the replay rules and a massive watershed moment in the NFL. Payton, of course, became a champion of the cause after the Saints were on the wrong end of a blown no-call at the end of the NFC Championship Game. If a flag had been thrown at the end of the game, the Saints almost certainly would've advanced to the Super Bowl. Pass interference will now be treated the same as any other play that is reviewable.
It has the potential to completely alter many games. The implementation will likely be bumpy at the beginning, and there will surely be much debate about what is truly indisputable when it comes time to review some of these calls, but it's hard to argue it's not a step in the right direction. The Cincinnati Bengals were reportedly the only team to vote against the final resolution, so it sounds like it had widespread support.
There's been concern that it could lengthen or slow down games, or that implementation of the new rules will be too subjective and not universal enough. Owners like the New York Giants' John Mara originally spoke out against making sweeping changes, and it's unclear what swayed them in the end. Either way, it's a huge win for Payton, and a huge day for the league.
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