Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers was flagged for what looked like a good, clean sack and forced fumble on Bears quarterback Josh McCown on Sunday, a hit so clean that when Brockers saw a flag come in, he assumed one of his teammates must have committed a penalty.
“To be honest with you I didn’t know it was a roughing the passer until I got on the sideline,” Brockers told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I thought it was a pass interference call because [the hit] was so clean.”
Rams coach Jeff Fisher told FOX 2 in St. Louis after the game that he didn’t want to get into what he and the ref said to each other after the penalty.
“That’s between me and the referee. They’re going to officiate on the side of player safety,” said Fisher, a member of the NFL’s competition committee.
But on Monday, Fisher told 101 ESPN in St. Louis that the ref made a mistake.
“They’re going to make a mistake every once in a while, and I think it was clear to everybody that there was a mistake made,” Fisher said.
Brockers was classy about it, saying he understands that officials will make mistakes.
“The athletes in this league are so big and so strong, I mean, stuff happens quick,” Brockers said. “And you can’t expect the referees — the human eye — to catch everything.”
The officials definitely didn’t catch everything on Sunday.