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When it comes to reviewing pass interference plays, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has a new ally. It's none other than Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.
According to Yahoo! Sports NFL columnist Charles Robinson, “The entire idea of replay logic was in jeopardy when it came to pass interference” during the first 24 hours of the NFL Owners Meetings at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday.
To nobody's surprise, Payton was the strongest advocate, per Robinson:
It took New Orleans coach Sean Payton arguing his case to the competition committee and the media in seemingly every form. He spoke in the corridors of the Biltmore to other coaches and executives. He stood for media scrums on sidewalks and sat for television interviews. He even arrived 20 minutes early to the coaches breakfast for Tuesday, seemingly knowing he would have a room full of reporters to himself.
While Robinson lauded Payton's bravado, the former also tipped his hat off to Garrett. The Cowboys mentor met with fellow head coaches on Tuesday asking them to preserve the integrity of the game and become more accurate in terms of wins and losses. He reiterated the same themes to the owners later that day.
Payton came away impressed. “As Payton would say of Garrett later, ‘He was outstanding. He finished, and I was like: ‘Dilly, Dilly,'” per Robinson.
Payton went on to tell Robinson, “It's the best meeting I've been a part of in 13 years [as head coach.]”
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Nobody can blame him. Thanks in large part to Payton's and Garrett's efforts, NFL owners voted for the review of defensive and offensive pass interference penalties beginning in the 2019 NFL season. This rule change includes non-calls.
Payton couldn't get the controversial missed defensive pass interference call on Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman in the 2018 NFC Championship off his mind.
On 3rd and 10 with 1:45 left in the game, Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a pass to wide receiver Tommylee Lewis at the three-yard line. As Lewis set himself up for the catch, Robey-Coleman knocked him out of bounds before he even touched the football.
The officials didn't throw a flag on the play. Payton went ballistic on the sideline.
The Rams went on to win in overtime, 26-23. The victory propelled them to Super Bowl LIII against the eventual champions New England Patriots. Even if the Saints lost, the most recent rule change is a victory for players and fans alike. Thank you, Payton and Garrett.
