In the waning minutes of a tight Thursday Night Football battle between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, a questionable no-call on what appeared to be a blatant face mask penalty has sparked intense scrutiny and debate across the NFL world. The controversial play occurred with just 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Rams linebacker Byron Young burst into the Vikings’ end zone and viciously sacked quarterback Sam Darnold for a critical safety that extended LA’s lead to an almost insurmountable 30-20.
Replays of the violent collision clearly showed Young’s hand grasping and twisting Darnold’s face mask as he drove the signal-caller to the turf. Inexplicably, no yellow flags littered the field after the play. Outraged Vikings players, coaches and fans cried foul, arguing vehemently that the missed call robbed them of a chance to mount a last-ditch comeback attempt.
Referee Tra Blake Explains Controversial No-Call
After the game, pool reporter Kevin Seifert spoke with referee Tra Blake, seeking an explanation for why the seemingly obvious infraction went unpenalized at such a pivotal juncture. Blake revealed that no official had a clear view of Young’s apparent face mask grab due to their positioning and sight lines being obstructed by other players.
“The quarterback was facing the opposite direction from me. So I did not have a good look at it,” Blake admitted. “I did not see the face mask being pulled, obviously.”
– Referee Tra Blake
Blake noted that umpire Carl Paganelli, who had a secondary responsibility for making the call, was similarly screened from getting a clean look at the play.
“The umpire had players between him and the quarterback, so he did not get a good look at it. He was blocked out as well,” Blake explained. “We did not see it, so we couldn’t call it.”
By rule, potential face mask infractions are not reviewable under the NFL’s instant replay system. So despite the damning video evidence, officials were powerless to assess a belated penalty after huddling to discuss the play.
Vikings React to Missed Face Mask
When asked about the incident, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell opted to take the high road rather than blast the officiating crew for their gaffe.
“It looked like he got a pretty good amount of face mask there,” O’Connell acknowledged. “But I’m not going to get into the call, or no-call, or all that stuff. It’s just not how we’re going to respond to this. I’m going to do the same thing right now. I really don’t have a comment on that.”
– Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell
Darnold also downplayed the missed call, taking a pragmatic stance on a play that very well could have altered his team’s fate.
“The face mask, it is what it is. I thought we could have done a lot to not put ourselves in the situation that we were in,” Darnold reflected. “So we’ve just got to continue to play better and not put ourself in that position to begin with.”
– Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold
Another Officiating Controversy Rocks the NFL
This latest officiating controversy comes on the heels of several other high-profile mistakes and dubious judgments that have cast doubt upon the state of NFL refereeing. In recent weeks, questionable calls (and no-calls) have impacted the outcomes of multiple games and sparked heated debates among fans, media members and even the league’s competition committee.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the NFL’s officiating department intends to conduct a thorough review of its training and grading processes for referees in the wake of these blunders. The league knows it must address this troubling trend swiftly and decisively to prevent further erosion of trust in its product.
As the Vikings and Rams put a bow on their Thursday night tilt, the NFL as a whole is left to grapple with yet another officiating mess that has stolen the headlines. In a season already marred by controversial calls, the league desperately needs its referees to clean up their collective act before even more damage is done to the sport’s credibility.
