NFL V.P. of Officiating Al Riveron says the crucial Colts challenge on a fourth down late in their loss to the Titans could have benefited from a better replay angle.
In a video distributed to the media, Riveron noted that all he had to work with was the TV replays, and none of them showed definitively whether Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett lunged the football ahead of the line to gain before or after the ball crossed the sideline.
“We’re solely dependent on the angles we get from the TV broadcast,” Riveron said.
As Riveron went through all the replay angles, he explained that none of them showed exactly where the ball was when it crossed the sideline.
“We cannot make a distinction from this angle as to where the ball crosses the sideline,” Riveron said. “Unfortunately we don’t get it here. We cannot make a determination based on any of these angles where the ball exactly crosses the sideline, so we have to stay with the ruling on the field.”
It can be helpful for the TV networks to have cameras fixed on the sidelines, goal lines and the line to gain, but even if the network has the perfect angle, sometimes the ball is obscured by players. Replay will never have a perfect angle of every play. It didn’t for the Colts on Monday night.