In the most recent instance, the NFL is choosing to ignore the obvious officiating issue that exists.
Referee Brad Allen and his team, who received harsh criticism for how the Lions-Cowboys game concluded in Week 17, have been assigned to officiate the Steelers-Ravens game on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In the Lions’ 20-19 loss to the Cowboys last week, Allen and his team misheard which lineman was an eligible receiver on a two-point conversation try. If the referee had accurately heard the players—which they did because it was a successful conversion—Detroit would have probably won the game. However, that did not happen.
They are now back on the national stage in a highly consequential playoff game. The Steelers (9-7) are still in the hunt for a postseason spot, but the Ravens (13-3) have already secured the top seed in the AFC.
The Pittsburgh fans must be even more anxious ahead of the regular season finale at Baltimore, considering Allen and his team’s recent performance. The criticism of the NFL’s officiating will intensify if the refereeing decides how this game is resolved.
Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback for the Jets, chimed in on Tuesday. As the games move closer to the end of the season, he suggested the league should only allow the greatest referees to officiate because it’s obvious who they are.
“I think as players, we know who the best refs are,” Rodgers stated on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “When you get to the playoffs it should be the top of the top.”
Although Allen and his team are not part of that exclusive group of referees, they are being regarded as such. By letting them return to the stadium this weekend, the NFL is taking a chance, and it is obviously hoping that they can make amends.