An NFC thriller between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams ended in controversial fashion on Thursday night, as Byron Young got away with pulling Sam Darnold's facemask. Darnold was throwing from his end zone when Young yanked him to the ground. As a result, it was a safety for the Rams.
That play essentially ended the game. If the referees actually called the penalty though, it would've kept the Vikings alive since they were trailing 28-20. According to referee Tra Blake, the reason the facemask penalty wasn't called was because the officiating crew couldn't see it.
That's not true though. "The quarterback was facing the opposite direction from me, so I did not have a good look at it," Blake said. "I did not have a look, and I did not see the face mask being pulled, obviously.
" Speaking to ProFootballTalk this Friday, chief NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy revealed that facemask penalties could become reviewable next season. At the very least, it'll be a discussion in the offseason. "Yes, it’s likely that face mask will come up this offseason," McCarthy told ProFootballTalk .
"Instant replay and what plays should and should not be reviewable is part of the conversation every offseason, and it’s anticipated it will come up again. Teams may propose a rule change and there have previously been a variety of proposals on which plays or if all plays should be reviewable." Ric Tapia/Getty Images There's no reason for games to end in this fashion ever again, so making facema.