Multiple NFL executives and coaches complained about the officiating in last week’s game between the Seahawks and Rams and are calling for the league to review its practices for hiring and training referees, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
That game, which had a significant impact on the playoff picture, was called “the worst officiated game of the year” by one source.
Seattle beat Los Angeles in overtime, which eliminated Detroit from the playoffs and put the Seahawks one Packers loss away from the postseason. Had the Rams won the game, the Lions would have clinched a playoff spot with their win over Green Bay Sunday night.
The differences in a few calls could have changed the outcome of the game and, as a result, the playoffs.
According to Schefter, the Rams, Lions and competition committee were all upset by the officiating during the game, with one source admitting that Detroit should be “livid.”
Among the criticized calls in the game were a Michael Dickson running into the kicker and non-calls where D.K. Metcalf appeared to put his fingers in Jalen Ramsey’s facemask and Geno Smith could have been called for intentional grounding.
This game seemed to be a tipping point for bad officiating, as one executive said that part of the game has been bad all year.
“(There is) a real groundswell of unhappiness with officiating that is much deeper than I’ve seen and frankly, I haven’t seen in this league in years,” the executive told Schefter.
