What would the NFL season be without officials making entirely different calls during a single play?
In Sunday’s Week 1 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles, kicker Caleb Sturgis attempted a 22-yard field goal. Sturgis lined up his kick and booted the ball towards the uprights. According to NFL officials, Shroedinger’s football both missed and hit. In a bizarre call, officials signaled entirely different calls.
The officials are off to a good start this season. pic.twitter.com/STFUrexnSs
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) September 11, 2016
Sturgis’ kick was good, so the official on the left was correct. The referee on the right must have seen the ball from an awkward angle, had his view obstructed or simply made the wrong gesture following the play. No matter what his intentions, it doesn’t look good. NFL officials will never be 100% accurate, but to flub field goal calls is embarrassing and unacceptable.
The screwup isn’t on the level of the infamous Golden Tate game-winning touchdown multi-call from the 2012 Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, but on the first week of the NFL season, it’s more ammo for fans against officials who don’t believe they’re doing their job adequately.
In this specific case, the official on the right needs to better. He’s lucky the call was made during the first quarter of Week 1 and not later in the season where he could vilified for making a larger mistake.
