Bill O’Brien: I have no idea what pass interference is anymore

Posted by Josh Alper on November 17, 2019, 4:45 PM EST
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Among the many things that went against the Texans in Baltimore on Sunday was an early no-call on what appeared to be blatant pass interference on a fourth-down pass to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey wasn’t flagged in real time and he wasn’t flagged after Texans head coach Bill O’Brien threw a challenge flag in an attempt to get the call on the field overturned. As has often been the case this season, O’Brien’s challenge was unsuccessful despite what looked to be clear evidence of a foul.

“I don’t know,” O’Brien said in his press conference. “I have no idea. I have no idea what pass interference is anymore. No idea.”

Quarterback Deshaun Watson said “everybody saw it” during his own press conference and said the play could have been a turning point, although the 41-7 final score makes it clear that the Texans were more than one play away on Sunday.

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62 responses to “Bill O’Brien: I have no idea what pass interference is anymore”

  2. He’s right. If that wasn’t pass interference I dunno what is. The NFL is really getting bad at defining their own rules.

  4. PI is a judgement call that is called different in every single game.

    Nobody knows how its going to be called, they can call it at any time on any play.

    and the Refs silent protest of replaying PI is still going as they wont over turn any of them no matter how obvious it is.

    Its a total joke and the league is starting to look as bad as the NBA.

  6. The referees association took the rule change to make pass interference reviewable as a personal insult. They are not interested in doing their job unless they can do if without accountability. The only solution is to fire them all and hire competant refs who are willing to stand up to accountability. The current refs want to be the stars and have their whims decide the game and be thanked for it.

  7. In all seriousness if the league wants to protect their pathetic officials. Fine. Get rid of coaches challenges. It’s not right to continue to penalize teams and then cost them a timeout on blown calls they refuse to reverse.

  8. The league is not going to overturn a pass interference call unless it’s as blatant as the one not called on the Saints last year. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. And the coach should know this.

  9. How will Bill O’Brien get to the SB when he gets owned on a regular basis by the likes of John Harbaugh, Belichick, and Andy Reid? I feel bad for Deshaun Watson.

  10. Even if the call would have been overturned, the Texans got DESTROYED today. The Ravens are clearly the BEST team in the league right now.

  12. I’m a Ravens fan and that was a bad no call, ultimately didn’t matter though because it was such a blow out. Texans will bounce back just fine, these 2 team will meet again.

  13. And with rule enforcement being one of foremost problems, the NFL wants to expand to Japan and other parts of the world. Why doesn’t the NFL get their act together first before expanding? The overall product is embarrassing. So many inconsistencies week in and week out.

  15. This was worse than the New Orleans call, so let’s just conclude this new rule is not really a new rule at all and get rid of it or any pretense that this new “challenge” actually exists.

  18. Don’t think the non call would have mattered as the Texans were outclassed today. With that said, you would think NFL referees would be better. Their poor performance has dictated the outcome of many NFL games recently including the super obvious one in the playoffs last year with the Saints.

  19. Until some team figures out the ravens offence ,they will win every game .
    that ravens QB isn’t that good,but when there’s no pressure on him
    all QB’s are good
    And I’m a steelers fan

  22. The game is no longer watchable. A rule is a rule, and thus a standard not susceptible to the the whims of a few men.
    With gambling such a factor, the game is beginning to look corrupt.

  23. Not a Texan fan or believe that call would have changed the outcome of the game – Texans got destroyed – but the whole pass interference thing is crazy. Under the league challenge rule now, I don’t think that Rams-Saints missed called would have been overturned. What is the criteria? If they’re not allowing for overturns, it was better not to have the challenge.

  24. No where did he say the call cost them the game. No, it wouldnt have changed the outcome, but all of you saying hes whining and a sore loser might feel differently when this happens to a team you care about.

    The score could have been 100-0, the call was still TERRIBLE and it was even REVIEWED!

  25. Easy answer: the league wanted the Ravens to win this game. I realize it was ultimately a blowout but that call came fairly early in the game. Plays like that can be momentum changers and they happen across the whole league. I agree about challenging any PI call, it’s just a wasted timeout.

  29. In case the coaches haven’t figured it out yet, I’ll tell them now in plain English what pass interference is—-a call that will NOT under any circumstances be changed on review. So just stop wasting your challenges please.

  30. When the credibility of the game is eroded to the point where its unwatchable you have a problem……and the NFL has a problem

  34. The Ravens look great. Happy to see them back in the hunt! Did the missed PI call matter? Not really. But, the NFL should be (but won’t be) embarrassed! Total lack of integrity on their part.

    Posters saying “it’s a judgement call” as if the ref used good judgement, okay. In my judgement, grabbing the receiver’s jersey and tackling him before the catchable ball arrives is PI. But hey, what do I know??

  36. I have a problem with posters saying that the “game” is unwatchable, yet they obviously still watch it. If it is that bad,DON’T watch it! It is simple

  39. This is the M.O. with the Roger Goodell Era… not knowing what constitutes a penalty… determined by a COMMITTEE yanking around with our nation’s greatest sport.

    Thanks, NFL.

  40. I am not a fan of either team obviously. Hearing the same comment that it didn’t matter because they got destroyed is not the point. What happens when it is a close game and your team loses because of what is obviously a terrible call. You fart and Tom Brady smells it and you are getting a 15 yarder. Calls depend on the team and always have.

  41. Obvious bad (non)call. It happens every week in most every game. Maybe make it a full-time job and, geez, get the old men off the field and replace them with young men. The players are bigger and faster. These old men can’t keep up with play.
    One fell down trying to get into position in the Ravens-Texans game. Need young guys with young eyes.

  43. Good Lord stop whining.

    Their are horrible calls in every game.

    You either overcome them or you dont.

    I’m so sick if our crying whining blame everyone else but yourself soft fruit cake society.

    Makes me sick.

  44. Everyone watching saw it for what it was and if the refs don’t call it live then a replay, as has been well documented, will not get overturned. It was implemented on a one year basis to satisfy the Saints crowd but obviously will be rescinded next year since they won’t overturn anything so blatant as this was. That’s what the league is driving at, they never wanted it in the first place, replay is worthless for these penalties, so its done for.

  49. I didn’t watch a single game today and I won’t tomorrow. There is no sport where there is consistently worse officiating than pro football. And the amount of gambling simply raises the index of suspicion.

  50. After watching the Ravens destroy the Texans, first, the Ravens are the best team in the AFC, second, the Texans are Frauds and will lose against the Colts and Patriots. They ain’t making the Playoffs. Oh, Ravens vs Saints or Seahawks in Super Bowl.

  51. It’s becoming more and more difficult with each passing week to dismiss the likelihood the NFL is making PI whatever they decide it is when they decide it is, without regard to clear evidence contrary to their ruling. And the only thing left to do is make the public accept it as the new reality. Some suggested that was the real basis for the blatant ignoring of PI in the Saint-Rams game last year that ignited this. It’s not an accident, people, and it isn’t a ball of confusion either. No, it’s orderly and planned.

  54. cards got called for a pi when the receiver was crawling up the defenders back and hugging him but we still got called. they also gave the 9ers a first when he was clearly short, basically gave them the game.

  57. This is the beginning of maybe 95 Theses that Bill O’Brien nails to a door somewhere.

    Some others: I have no idea what game-planning involves.

    I have no idea how to break down tape on opponents.

    I have no idea how to call plays in the Red Zone.

    I HAVE NO IDEA!

  58. The NFL was forced into reviewing called or uncalled PI but they never said they would over turn the calls…. you just make them mad when you throw that flag!

  59. I used to think it was just incompetence and human error (See that’s insane PI against the cards today when the niners guy tackled him), but a call like this Hopkins one really causes me to question the integrity of the person making the decisions. I understand they aren’t going to overturn many, but it’s just a farce now and I wonder who is profiting from it.

  61. Love how people want to focus on the Texan’s getting blown out instead of the focus of the headline. The no-call is what matters here and it did have a direct effect on the outcome of the game…because the players aren’t idiots and knew right then and there they had to beat both the officials and the Ravens to win. That’s a heavy load to take on so early in the game.

    That call alone took all the momentum out of the Texans will to win. Officials can and do directly effect the outcome of games. The Texans clearly gave up because of it and if the entire team walking out of the stadium in protest wasn’t fineable…the Texans probably would have.

    The score was 0-0 at the end of the first quarter and only 14-0 at the end of the half when it should’ve been 14-7 Ravens. Not like it was a blowout the first half. The Texans just flat out gave up in the second half, because why try if the NFL and it’s officials clearly don’t want you to win.

  62. Badchannels1 – agreed – which is why I turned off my TV and went on to other things after that play and non-reversal. The NFL’s intended outcome was sadly obvious when it was still a great 0-0 game.

    NFL, are you listening? I turned off the most hyped game my team played in this year.

    Sorry, Saints fans. Your sacrifice has meant nothing.

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