I am a huge football fan, and I cannot think in my little mind that the NFL or a referee would lower himself to the level of a criminal to cheat a football team out of a game. Well tonight it seems like half of twitter feels the NFL is rigged and the other half just feels like the refs missed a call. NFL refs couldn't watch replays after botched non-call crippled the Saints There are some around the NFL wondering if the NFC Championship problem was not the officials’ eyes, brain or judgment. In Saints Row, cheats are activated through the in-game Cellphone. Once activated, the only way to turn off a cheat is to load a save or exit the game. Activating cheats disables Achievement progress for that save file.
The Saints are 0-3 in their last three games against what has become their most dominant opponent–NFL officials.
It all started, of course, with the non-call for pass interference in the 2018 NFC Championship that gave Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman a free pass on a clear interference penalty that cost the Saints a trip to Super Bowl LIII and was the precursur to the new rule allowing coaches to challenge pass interference calls. Bill Vinovich’s crew blew one of the most obvious and important examples of interference in recent memory, and there were no known repercussions.
Then, in the 2019 season opener against the Texans, there was a replay review following a Drew Brees completion to Michael Thomas. Somehow, in the resulting administrative folderol, the officiating crew, led by John Hussey, robbed head coach Sean Payton of 15 seconds he should have had near the end of the first half. The crew called a ten-second runoff and called the time left correct at 16 seconds left in the first half, but there should have been the option to give Payton the ability to call a time out to eliminate the 10-second runoff. The Saints kicked a field goal to end the first half and eventually won the game, 33-30, but one wonders what Payton would have been able to do with those extra 15 seconds.
“I still don’t know what the deal was,” Payton said after the game. “Someone came up to me in the locker room and said the league acknowledged that there was a mistake that was made. Ten seconds should not have been run off and we should have had 31 seconds left instead of 16. That can’t happen. That’s a game changer. We end up having to kick a 58-yard field goal, or whatever it was, attempt a 58-yard kick. If we had 15 more seconds, are you kidding me, we would’ve gotten closer. That’s a game changer. That can’t happen.”
And then, in the first half of their rematch with the Rams on Sunday, the Saints found themselves on the wrong end of the officiating paradigm yet again. With 6:08 left in the second quarter, Rams quarterback Jared Goff clearly fumbled the ball on a sack. Defensive end Cameron Jordan picked up the ball and rumbled for what he thought would be an 87-yard touchdown.
At least, that’s what it should have been.
As NFL VP of Officiating Al Riveron explained, Walt Anderson’s crew declared the ball dead as an incomplete pass, and the whistle blown negated Jordan’s gain the other play. But upon review, the fumble was ruled a fumble, and because the play had been whistled dead incorrectly, the Saints had no recourse. They had the ball, but they didn’t have the touchdown they were supposed to have.
Instead, with Teddy Bridgewater in for the injured Drew Brees, the Saints were unable to convert a fourth-and-1 at their own 48-yard yard line at the end of that drive.
Refs At Saints Game Cheat Sheet
We are not in the practice of forwarding conspiracy theories, but it’s rather interesting that when officiating games involving the Saints, these refs aren’t more careful with the rules. As for Payton and his team, they have no real recourse, and will likely receive yet another heartfelt apology from the league.
We have another NFL conspiracy theory on our hands.
During Sunday night’s Saints-Packers game, a video on Twitter went viral showing Saints head coach Sean Payton mysteriously handing the ref something on the sideline.
did sean payton just give that ref money or am i trippin
— CK ⁹⁹⁹ (@CJKTGOD) September 28, 2020
Sean Payton’s slipping refs 100s to keep em straight #saints#packers#SNFonNBCpic.twitter.com/pWoEzJAAWi
— Thor Markus (@ThorMarkus24) September 28, 2020
Even though it seems fairly obvious that the ref was giving Payton red challenge flag back, fans still ran with the “Payton slipped the ref some money” conspiracy theory.
Sean Payton made a drug deal with a ref, in the fourth quarter, on national television. pic.twitter.com/yYJlG2RKHm
— Justin Lonero (@JustinLonero) September 28, 2020
Imagine if Belichick had done this.
It would be a never ending story. https://t.co/f5gLpHewYM
— T-Haines 🦁 (@thethainesshow) September 28, 2020
Streets saying Sean Payton was paying the refs last might.
Refs At Saints Game Cheats
— 3rd Coast Sports Head 🇳🇬🇧🇯 (@mccauley713) September 28, 2020
Refs At Saints Game Cheat Game
“Here’s a lil extra, take the wife n kids out somewhere nice” https://t.co/saTFJ7LEFG
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67182171/152734150.0.jpg "Refs At Saints Game Cheat")
— YERRboi Shredda (@ShreddaSosa) September 28, 2020
Smh knew the saints are a dirty team https://t.co/1ak3oCP4s4
— $tunna💰🏃🏻♂️💨 (@BigDripBandz) September 28, 2020
Look, it’s 2020 and people seem to thing anything is possible. More than anything, we all just really need something to believe in. Even if that “something” is a veteran NFL head coach being dumb enough to slip money to referee during an actual football game.