ATLANTA — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell provided the league’s first public admission Wednesday that its officials erred with their pass interference non-call late in the NFC championship game that went a long way toward putting the Los Angeles Rams, rather than the New Orleans Saints, in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Goodell, speaking at his annual state-of-the-league address, said the league’s competition committee will consider the prospect of making interference rulings subject to review by instant replay, although he stopped short of declaring that he favors such a modification to the sport’s replay system. He said he never considered overturning the result of the game and ordering it to be replayed from the point of the missed call, believing that he does not possess the authority to do so even if so inclined.
“It’s a play that should be called,” Goodell said. “We’re going to make sure that we do everything possible to address the issues going forward and see if there are improvements we can make with instant replay or anything else. I understand the emotions.”
Al Riveron, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating, admitted to Saints Coach Sean Payton after the game that interference should have been called against the Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman for an early hit on the Saints’ Tommylee Lewis. Robey-Coleman was fined for an illegal hit on Lewis on the play that also went uncalled.
Goodell said he subsequently spoke to Payton, a member of the competition committee, and to Saints owner Gayle Benson. He defended the league’s decision not to make a public acknowledgment of the officiating mistake until Wednesday.
• Goodell said the NFL is establishing a quarterbacks summit at Morehouse College in June to help get more minority coaches into the pipeline of higher-level assistant coaching jobs that are quicker pathways to head coaching opportunities.
WASHINGTON: The NFL is leaving open the possibility of suspending linebacker Reuben Foster under its personal conduct policy, Goodell said.
Foster had a domestic violence charge against him in Florida dropped by prosecutors earlier this month.
But the conduct policy permits the NFL to discipline a player in the absence of criminal charges if the league determines after an investigation that such a measure is warranted.
Washington claimed Foster off waivers following his release by the 49ers. He did not play for the team during the remainder of the 2018 season while on the exempt list.
• Washington hired longtime NFL defensive guru Rob Ryan as its inside linebackers coach.
Ryan most recently served as the Buffalo Bills’ assistant head coach for defense in 2016.
Before Buffalo, Ryan served as defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints from 2013-2015, Dallas Cowboys in 2011 and 2012, Cleveland Browns in 2009 and 2010 and Oakland Raiders from 2004-2008. His 2013 Saints’ defense ranked second in passing defense and fourth in points allowed.
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