Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Anonymous GM Rips NFL's Pass Interference Challenge Rule to Peter King

Tim Daniels

An anonymous NFL general manager questioned why the league went through the arduous process of adding reviews for pass interference if the calls were going to get upheld at an extraordinarily high rate.

"But if it's going to be next to impossible to change a PI call, why was the rule changed in the first place?" the GM asked in an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports. "Why go through this huge exercise if the league's decided nothing's going to change?"

The latest high-profile example came on Thursday Night Football when replays showed New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate being contacted early by New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones. Then, when the pass got close, Jones grabbed Tate's right arm to prevent a catch.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports highlighted the play in question:

No penalty was called on the field, which led Giants head coach Pat Shurmur to challenge for pass interference. The call was upheld upon review.

"I thought I had a solid chance to get it, but we see that replay doesn't overturn much," Shurmur told reporters. "So, I am not surprised."

Tate added: "I'm really unclear what the rule is, so I'm hoping we send it into the NFL and they explain to us what they see and what they think and why it wasn't called. Not that that changes the outcome of the game, but in the future maybe that could be a crucial play."

After officials opted not to flag Jones, ESPN's Kevin Seifert noted, "Coaches are now 1-20 in their last 21 [pass interference] challenges."

Given coaches start each game with just two challenges, and a third if both are successful, it's becoming a major risk to use one on pass interference unless it's a crucial play.

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)