Heading into the NFC Championship, it was awfully hard to pick a winner. The two teams, the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams, were similar in a lot of ways. High-powered offence, stout yet sometimes volatile defence, and a scorching hot start to the season only to fade down the stretch.
Hard to pick a winner, so it was no surprise when the game went to overtime tied at 23. No surprise on paper, that is, but lots of surprise (and outrage) that the game got that far after what appeared to be a clear pass interference penalty.
Hard to explain that one, and according to Sean Payton, the league didn’t try to explain it. They simply admitted that they had messed it up. A teary eyed Payton discussed the call he had with NFL head of officiating Al Riveron in a post-game presser.
A tough pill to swallow to say the least. The call would have almost certainly led to a Saints Super Bowl LIII appearance, but instead they’re cleaning their lockers.
It’s going to be a long night of explaining for the NFL officials.
