Dean Blandino, the NFLs head of officiating, revealed to Mike Florio on PFT Live that the officials in Sundays Wild Card Game between the Detroit Lionsand Dallas Cowboys made an error in judgment on a contentious pass interference no-call in the fourth quarter, via Pro Football Talks Michael David Smith. On Tuesday, the NFL admitted the officials missed a hold on Ndamukong Suh on a critical 4th down. Continue for updates NFL Claims Ndamukong Suh Was Held on Crucial 4th DownTuesday, Jan. 6 Adam Schefter revealed the NFL claims another officiating mistake was made in the Lions vs. Cowboys game: NFL Admits Fault in No-Call Against Anthony HitchensMonday, Jan. 5 On a 3rd-and-1 with eight minutes and 25 seconds left in the game, Lions quarterback Matthew Staffords pass to tight end Brandon Pettigrew fell incomplete. Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens was originally flagged for pass interference, but the officiating crew subsequently decided against penalizing Dallas and provided no explanation for doing so. Blandino made the case that Hitchens was guilty of holding and couldve been flagged for it: But Blandino said the missed call that troubled him most was not the pass interference flag that was originally thrown but later picked up. According to Blandino, the clear penalty Hitchens got away with was defensive holding: Hitchens grabbed Pettigrew’s jersey while Pettigrew was running his route, and Blandino said that should have been called. If it had been, it would have given the Lions an automatic first down. He explained his perspective further, via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL: I think its debatable. There was a left hand on (Brandon Pettigrews) shoulder, but does that significantly hinder the receivers ability to make the catch? Looking at all the angles, were not convinced it is or it isnt. I think had the flag not been thrown, I think we still would have debated it. I certainly could have supported it if they left the flag down. I would have supported the foul. But I think its a close judgment call where you have two officials with differing opinions on it. [...] Id prefer that they kept it down, having the flag down. But like I said its a tight judgment call that could have went either way. Detroit didnt get the first down. It subsequently lost the game, 24-20. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell agreed with Blandinos comments but remains aggrieved about the outcome, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 23:22:37 +0000