Goodell: new rule working
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the new video review rule for pass interference is working as expected, with only obvious mistakes by officials being corrected.
Through Week 6, the league has had 44 reviews related to pass interference, and the onfield ruling was reversed seven times.
“I think coaches understood replay was not going to correct every pass interference close call,” Goodell said Wednesday at the close of the twoday owners’ meetings. “It’s not possible to make it perfect, and we’re not reofficiating these plays. The thought process was to correct the obvious and clear error. I think it’s settling out where we expected.”
The new rule approved as a oneyear experiment allows pass interference calls or noncalls to be challenged by coaches and reviewed via replay. But complaints by coaches, players and fans about pass interference persist, with some arguing more calls should be reversed.
Officiating has been a hot topic this season, with controversy about pass interference, the rate of holding penalties and, most recently, a critical call in Monday’s LionsPackers game that the league admitted was wrong.
The erroneous handstotheface flag tainted Green Bay’s 2322 win. But Goodell said such controversy is part of any sport.
Labor discussions on a new collective bargaining agreement have touched on the possible expansion to a 17game season.
The league will examine possible reasons for a 44% increase in concussions in exhibition games from 2018 to this year. Concussions in preseason practices fell by 33%. Briefly: The Titans are turning to quarterback Ryan Tannehill and benching Marcus Mariota for Sunday’s game against the Chargers . ... QB Mason Rudolph will return to the Steelers’ starting lineup. He has been out since sustaining a concussion Oct. 6 . ... Ryan Fitzpatrick will replace Josh Rosen as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Bills . ... The Bears are cautiously optimistic quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will return this week from a left shoulder injury. ... Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said he was punched in the face by a “fan” who wanted to take a picture with him. Garrett advised the man on Twitter, “Put your legs into it. might have actually made me flinch.”