There were several games on Sunday that featured pass interference calls or non-calls that were highly debatable at the very least and Saints coach Sean Payton would like to see the ability to ask for a second look on such plays in the future.
Payton’s comments on Monday came in relation to a question about a penalty called on safety Kenny Vaccaro that gave the Panthers a fourth down conversion and the ball on the one-yard line. Payton said he won’t be sending the play for clarification from the league, but that he does wish he could have challenged the call and sent it for a replay review.
“It has been [discussed] and for good reason, and let’s hope that that at some point is [addressed] sooner than later,” Payton said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “Listen, it’s been brought up and discussed by a number of clubs, and I think the Competition Committee needs to spend a lot more time thinking about that specific call is so critical to get right.”
Although we’ve heard Payton and others make the case for expanding replay to cover a wider range of plays, there’s been little sign that the Competition Committee is in favor of pushing for such a change. A few pass interference calls probably won’t sway the opinion of those opposed to having more things available for review, which would leave coaches like Payton with little to do but lament calls they disagree with in day-after conference calls.