The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings by a closing rating of 30-20 on Thursday Night time Soccer.
Whereas a serious headline is perhaps the resurgence of the Rams, who improved to 3-4 within the win and appeared like a really aggressive soccer crew with each Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua again within the lineup — quieting rumors that the crew may commerce Kupp forward of the November 5 NFL Commerce Deadline — maybe the largest story was a non-call on an obvious facemask penalty late within the recreation.
With the Vikings trailing 28-20 with below two minutes remaining, Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold dropped to throw on a 2nd-and-10 play from the Vikings’ 5-yard line. As Darnold ready within the pocket, deep in his personal finish zone, for a receiver to interrupt free Rams go rusher Byron Younger dragged him down, grabbing Darnold’s face masks within the course of:
A game-sealing security on what ought to’ve been a facemask name in opposition to the Rams.
“They can not evaluation that. However he positively bought the facemask (of Sam Darnold). ” – Kirk Herbstreit
“Viking followers are going ‘What the hell?!'” – Al Michaels #NFL #TNF ️ pic.twitter.com/DbfLrhtXHr
— Terrible Asserting (@awfulannouncing) October 25, 2024
You possibly can even see Younger peel away from the play holding his helmet, an indication he knew a penalty flag was coming.
Nonetheless, it by no means got here.
Right here is one other take a look at the play, from behind the referee in the long run zone:
Referee thought Sam Darnold determined to only twist his personal head off. No facemask. Simply Darnold attempting to go full Exorcist on the market. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/ba7EDjodAQ
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) October 25, 2024
Vikings gamers and followers had been incredulous on the non-call, and the officers did come collectively to debate the play. Nonetheless, the security stood, and the Rams ran out the clock for the ten-point win
After the sport NFL pool reporter Calvin Watkins spoke with referee Tra Blake, who outlined that not one of the officers on the sector noticed the penalty:
“Properly, on that play, the quarterback was dealing with the other way from me so I didn’t have good take a look at it,” started Blake. “I didn’t take a look, and I didn’t see the facemask being pulled, clearly. The umpire had gamers between him and the quarterback, so he didn’t get an excellent take a look at it. He was blocked out as effectively. In order that was the factor, we didn’t see it so we couldn’t name it. We couldn’t see it.”
Concerning the crew coming collectively to debate the decision, Blake famous that whereas they mentioned the play as a crew, they “weren’t capable of see it on the sector so we weren’t capable of make that decision.”
Blake ended the dialogue noting {that a} play like that’s not reviewable.
Maybe which may change sooner or later.
