The Minnesota Vikings aren’t thrilled about a crucial no-call late in Thursday’s 17-15 loss versus the Dallas Cowboys, placing blame directly on officials.
With 25 seconds on the clock and Minnesota needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, Sam Bradford was hit in the mask by defensive tackle Cedric Thornton. What should have been called a penalty wasn’t and the Vikings were guaranteed their sixth loss of the season due to the missed call.
It's clearly a hit to the head on Bradford and a penalty by the rules, but what do you do? https://t.co/OuQOzkHlkV
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 2, 2016
Vikings defensive end Brian Robison blasted the officials after the game, saying he was sick of referees blowing calls in key moments.
“I’m sick and tired of the ref-ing in this league,” Robison said. “I’m sick and tired of it. You’ve got holding calls all over the place that people don’t want to call. Bradford gets hit in the face at the end of the game and you don’t call it. I’m not laying this loss on the refs. At some point, it’s got to get better … At the end of the game Bradford gets hit in the face and it doesn’t get called.”
“I know I’m probably going to get fined, but at some point, somebody has to stand up and say something.”
Robison didn’t end there, as he took to Twitter to say these missed calls are a “league wide deal.”
Let's get something straight for the people who are bashing me….. I'm not saying the refs won or lost the game for us tonight. I'm not….
— Brian Robison (@Brian_Robison) December 2, 2016
Saying that it's just us who isn't getting the calls. This is a league wide deal. Every time you turn on the tape you see it. Done!!!!
— Brian Robison (@Brian_Robison) December 2, 2016
At the end of the day we have to figure out a way to win! I love this team and the heart we play with. We always put it all on the line!
— Brian Robison (@Brian_Robison) December 2, 2016
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk contends referees aren’t equipped to deal with the fast pace of NFL gameplay all the time.
“Last night’s failure of referee Tony Corrente to call at least two roughing the passing penalties for illegal hits to Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford reconfirms the inability of the naked eye embedded in a middle-aged body without the protection of padding while meandering around young, strong, fast men in armor to see what’s actually happening.”
Florio suggests the NFL should either make quarterback hits reviewable or adopt a similar rule currently applied to punters, and make QB hits post-throw illegal.
If Friday’s game proved anything, it’s that something needs to change. The Vikings were unfairly handed a loss when they should have had more opportunity to win. Imagine the chaos if the play happened during a Superbowl? Officials need to be better.
[NFL.com]
