Zebra Blog

Mike Pereira, the NFL vice president of officiating, conducted his last “Official Review” segment (video) of the season on the NFL Network today. Periera is retiring at the conclusion of next season.

Pereira did acknowledge the controversy about not having Kurt Warner’s fumble on the last play reviewed:

Looking back at it now after the fact, you know, it was close enough, although it wouldn’t have changed anything whatsoever. … Had [replay official Bob McGrath] stopped it, it would’ve stayed a fumble. But, again, looking at it, at that big of a play at the end of the game, I would’ve sent it down and given [head referee Terry] McAuley a chance to look at it. …

You learn and … next time it happens, at this point of the game, this big of a play, let’s go ahead and [call for a replay review].

Pereira stated that McAuley had a chance to see the play after the game and concurred that the ruling would stand. The ruling on the play was that, although Warner had the ball in his hand while it was moving forward, he did not have control of it. I don’t think that will be enough to satisfy conspiracy theorists.

However, it appears the replay guidelines will be amended to state controversial calls at pivotal points in the game will get a review.

Also in the segment, Pereira backed up the assessment we had on James Harrison’s interception return. He also said that Santonio Holmes’ celebration on the game-winning touchdown should have been penalized, but since it happened so long after the play, the officials’ attention was to set up for the point-after attempt.

Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh vs. Cardinals

Video from NFL.com

Officials don’t win or lose games. The Cardinals had a three-point lead with 2:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. So, rather the defense is mostly responsible for the outcome, rather than the denial of a last-second desperation play.

Kurt Warner’s last ditch effort did, however, deserve more than a cursory look at three angles. It is hard to believe that the evidence is conclusive enough to confirm whether or not Warner fumbled the ball. The New York Times’ Fifth Down blog has sequential photos of the play, suggesting this could be the Tuck Rule II.

In this case, the on-field officiating crew had done everything correct. The replay official, Bob McGrath — not the denizen of Sesame Street, I hope — was the sole decider on whether a last-minute play gets a review by Terry McAuley, the head referee.

The league’s vice president of officiating, Mike Pereira, backed up McGrath’s assessment to NBC:

We confirmed it was a fumble. The replay assistant in the replay booth saw it was clearly a fumble. The ball got knocked loose and was rolling in his hand before it started forward. He has to have total control.

Well, yeah, but sometimes you have to think that the magnitude of the call requires another look-see. And especially since there already was a fumble-to-incomplete reversal on the first drive of the third quarter.

This is an odd situation in the world of refereedom. If any one official makes an incorrect call, and it is not corrected, the bad call is pinned on all seven officials. However, the decision of the replay official has no on-field intervention.

Further frustrating the Cardinals sideline was the fact that they were a perfect 2-for-2 on red-flag challenges, being awarded the rare third challenge for being correct on the first two. However, that challenge disappears from the ledger once the two-minute warning is called in the fourth quarter.