It’s not unusual for former NFL referees working in media to back their former colleagues on controversial calls, but that’s not what happened on Sunday.
With a 22-21 lead and a crucial 4th & 1, Bills QB Josh Allen got stopped (or, at least, seemingly got stopped) before reaching first down yardage. The impact of not getting that first down cannot be overstated. The Chiefs took possession, promptly scored, and eventually won the game, punching their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Officials on the field reviewed and confirmed the play. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo replayed and analyzed it on the CBS broadcast. During that discussion, CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore also weighed in and took the officials to task for making the wrong call.
“I felt like he gained it by about a third of the football, Jim,” Steratore said. “That was just my take on the play. Tough, tough play.”
It was a tough play, indeed. However, it didn’t have to be that tough. Allen had his back to the official who spotted the ball ( not to mention that he was draped in Chiefs defenders), so there’s no way he saw the ball. Allen was facing the official on the far side, who likely had a better view, and he initially held that Allen’s forward progress was sufficient for a first down.
However, embracing the sensor technology other sports leagues are already using would settle the debate and ensure the right call is made every time.
“The technology exists to do it right,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on Sunday. “The only question is whether the NFL will make the leap — and write the check. The ball needs to be equipped with digital components that will allow for an exact measurement as to whether a player scored a touchdown or, as it relates to Sunday night’s AFC Championship, whether a first down was gained.”
Why the NFL hasn’t embraced its technology is anyone’s guess, but it’s time.