Saints fans and supporters are buzzing with questions about last night’s missed pass interference call that may have cost the Saints a second appearance in a Super Bowl.
Some have asked if anything can be done to rectify the loss and make things right for the Saints before the Super Bowl on February 3.
Many are pointing to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his capacity to reverse the outcome of a game thanks to language in the NFL rulebook.
The language in question is Rule 17, Section 2, Article 1 which states that, “The Commissioner has the sole authority to investigate and take appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective measures if any club action, non-participant interference, or calamity occurs in an NFL game which the Commissioner deems so extraordinarily unfair or outside the accepted tactics encountered in professional football that such action has a major effect on the result of the game.”
While many are skeptical that the missed call qualifies as a “calamity,” or “extraordinarily unfair,” the hope is that the rule can be used to force the Saints and Rams into a rematch. In an interview with reporters following the game, Nickell Robey-Coleman admitted that what happened during the play was indeed a pass interference on his part.
A second section of the rule, under Article 3 identifies the powers that Commissioner Goodell has if the decision to overturn the game’s outcome is decided. “The Commissioner’s powers under this Section 2 include . . . the reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game, either from the beginning or from the point at which the extraordinary act occurred.”
Analysts point out that the game could essentially be recalled to the minute the pass interference occurred setting up an opportunity for the two teams to continue the game from that point forward.
It seems pretty far-fetched that such an action would even be considered, but that isn’t stopping fans from trying to make it happen. A petition on Change.org has already amassed several thousand signatures calling for Goodell to use his “powers” to effectively call a rematch.
The description on the petition reads, “due to refs’ inability to properly officiate at the game, we the undersigned want a re-match against L.A. on Sunday, Jan. 27. It’s the only fair solution to this travesty of epic proportions.”
To sign the petition, click here.
Another petition started on Monday is asking Commissioner Goodell to place an asterisk next to the Rams NFC Championship win. The asterisk, according to the petitioners, will denote that the game was altered by the NFL due to the two missed calls. That petition can be viewed, here.
