The man who inexplicably turned on the game clock in San Diego on Monday night when it should have remained off and let it run for 18 seconds had a chance to explain himself on Sunday.
As Jay Glazer of FOX Sports first reported, NFL security officials interviewed the clock operator on Sunday.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL will handle the investigation internally, with the goal of resolving the situation quickly. Although the league does not suspect foul play, the circumstances cried out for further review.
Apart from the fact that the clock started running at a time when it had been stopped for several minutes (after a touchdown, a replay review, an extra point, and a kickoff that resulted in a touchdown), the clock operator’s hasty exit from the stadium coupled with his failure to make a note of the mistake in his post-game report prompted the league to do its due diligence.
No discipline has been imposed on the clock operator yet. That could come after the investigation concludes. Even if the league determines that the error was unintentional, the clock operator could face some sort of consequence, especially since the officiating crew has been disciplined.
Specifically, side judge Rob Vernatchi (pictured) was suspended with pay for Week Six, and the rest of referee Pete Morelli’s crew has received a negative grade in the evaluation system for the failure to spot the missing 18 seconds.
All officials were held accountable because all officials keep time on their own watches. At least one of the seven officials, in the league’s opinion, should have realized that the clock was stopped at 2:56 for several minutes and that it was at 2:38 when the Steelers started the final drive of the game.