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NBC Sports broadcaster and former Super Bowl-winning Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy hasn’t let the NFL slip one past fans.
After league officials missed a pass interference call on Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, Dungy has maintained his pressure on the league to address why the play was a no-call.
Dungy tweeted on Monday, “I am anxiously awaiting @NFLOfficiating to explain why this is not Defensive Pass Interference on the last play of the Browns-Vikings game?????”
His call out of the NFL has kept its steam as NBC Sports recently spoke on the issue of pass interference on Hail Mary plays.
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‘If We Don’t Address It, We Don’t Legitimize It’
On Wednesday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Chris Simms discussed the mounting controversy surrounding the NFL’s no-call stance on pass interference calls on final plays.
“They just don’t address it. No transparency. No accountability. No explanation. Because if we don’t address it, we don’t legitimize it,” Florio said.
“It’s like it didn’t even happen if we don’t have a Dean Blandino or a Mike Perrera to run the video and discuss the calls. It’s resulting in not a whole lot of conversation.”
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A Growing Trend
Florio and Simms brought up past weeks where similar no-calls were made in the Week 3 Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers game. The Chargers committed “blatant” pass interference on Travis Kelce and Tyreek on a Hail Mary that were not called, which resulted in an anti-climatic 30-24 Chargers victory.
But the Browns’ committing pass interference on Thielen wasn’t even a Hail Mary play where there’s bound to be more contact on a desperation heave. It was a throw from the Browns’ 26-yard line.
“Supposedly, there’s different standards,” Florio said. “The rulebook does not say on a Hail Mary you’re allowed to do things otherwise that you’re not allowed to do when the ball is in the air… This is not a hail mary. This is a throw to the end zone. What is that on Adam Thielen’s left arm? Oh, that’s a hand, holding him in place.”
Simms said that he watched the All-22 footage of the final play and added that Browns cornerback Troy Hill was also holding Justin Jefferson in the back of the end zone.
“Great job by (Browns defensive coordinator) Joe Woods because ‘look guys, they’re not calling it. Just grab them,’ ” Florio said. “There’s nothing. There’s no transparency. There’s no acknowledgment.”
The Vikings have bared the brunt of both sides of the ambiguity on pass interference on Hail Mary plays. A rare anomaly to the trend of no-calls, Todd Davis was called for pass interference against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. The penalty gave the Buccaneers a final chance at the end zone, which they capitalized on and shifted the momentum, entering halftime with a sizeable 23-6 lead.
Troy Aikman immediately called out the NFL on that play, which went unaddressed as well.
“Coach Dungy put it out on Twitter,” Florio added. “We are still waiting for NFL Officiating to explain why this is not defensive pass interference. That’s not the right way to do business.”
