Pro Bowlers call for better NFL officiating

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell watched the NFL’S conference championship games on his phone while flying home from South Africa last weekend.

The stream cut in and out occasionally, causing Campbell to think for a brief moment that he missed something when no flag was thrown on Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-coleman late in the NFC title game. Turns out, Campbell saw it perfectly clear and was stunned officials chose not to penalize Robey-coleman for flattening Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis before the ball arrived.

“Very, very surprised,” Campbell said.

The now-infamous no-call has been the talk of Pro Bowl week, with several players calling for better officiating and more accountability for those in black and white. Others suggest expanding the use of video replay.

“I know there’s been talk about replay. But you really didn’t need replay to make that call,” Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “It was just a missed call. It was that simple. That happens. You have human error, but it’s unfortunate when that changes everything that you’ve worked for as a team and how hard it’s been to get back to that spot. That’s tough.”

No one at the league’s annual allstar game went as far as retiring New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson did, though. Watson ripped NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Twitter on Thursday for his public silence following the blown call.

“Your continued silence on this matter is unbecoming of the position you hold, detrimental to the integrity of the game and disrespectful and dismissive to football fans everywhere,” Watson wrote. “From the locker room to Park Ave., accountability is what makes our league great. Lead by example. We are waiting.”

Officials could have — and by most accounts should have — flagged Robey-coleman for pass interference and helmet-to-helmet contact during the play. Drew Brees’ pass fell incomplete inside the Rams 10-yard line with 1:45 left in a tie game. The Saints settled for a field goal. The Rams tied it on Greg Zuerlein’s 48-yarder in regulation and won it in overtime with his 57-yarder.

The overwhelming sentiment at the Pro Bowl was something needs to be done to prevent errors as egregious as the one in the NFC title game.

Several questioned the point of having extra officials upstairs and more watching at the league office in New York if no one can step in and correct an obvious mistake.

Not everyone was eager to broaden use of replay.

Campbell, for one, believes more replay would only muck up the tempo of games and make them longer.

“What you can do is you can try to prepare the referees better because they can’t miss that call,” Campbell said. “And whatever the consequences are for him missing the call, maybe make those public so we all know and everybody feels better. Make them be held accountable and they will have the motivation to call it the right way.”