That, however, couldn’t be said for everyone else inside the Superdome. “You move on to the next play,” said the former Super Bowl MVP. “That’s that bulls-,” an inebriated Saints fan wearing an Alvin Kamara jersey cried out, as other fans stood with mouths agape.īack on the field, Brees was attempting to get his offense to regroup in overtime. (AP)īut as quickly as the stadium begun rocking with unbridled, cocky energy, the pivotal no-call by the referees sucked all of the life - and hope - out of the most ardent of fans. This missed pass interference penalty late in the fourth quarter stunned the Saints beyond belief. “Ain’t no way we’re not going to Atlanta,” one female officer said, smiling. The anxiety was palpable inside the Bunker Club Lounge, where patrons and security guards and public safety officers huddled near TVs in the bowels of the stadium to watch the Saints grind out the ‘W.’ And neither was anyone else at the Superdome. And in their dead-quiet locker room, no one was ready to accept the outcome. The magic finally ran out for the Saints. “We came here to win a game,” added wide receiver Michael Thomas, who was held to only four catches on seven targets for 36 yards and no touchdowns. “You can’t take it back,” Lewis said softly.

And the league’s apology did little to assuage its anger. If last year’s “Minnesota Miracle” was a dagger for New Orleans, Sunday’s officiating debacle was downright infuriating. “I personally have not seen the play.” He said it was not a reviewable play and when asked if the timing in the game had any impact on the no-call, he replied, “Absolutely not.” “It was a judgment call by the covering official,” referee Bill Vinovich said, via a pool report.

The officiating crew, however, would not. The Rams tied the game with 15 seconds left in regulation before icing it in overtime, thanks to a 57-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein.Įven Robey-Coleman, the perpetrator of the penalty, acknowledged after the game that it was blatant pass interference. So, instead of the Saints receiving a first down and the chance to run some time off the clock, New Orleans was forced to kick a field goal.

The referees failed to throw a flag for blatant pass interference by Nickell Robey-Coleman late in the fourth quarter, even though the Rams cornerback collided helmet-to-helmet with Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis before the ball even got there. “Being that it happened right there, in front of the person who would be the one making that call, and everyone in the stands and everyone watching at home on TV, yeah, that makes it more difficult,” said quarterback Drew Brees, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. “They blew the call,” the New Orleans Saints head coach said, stating the obvious about the officiating crew in Sunday’s NFC championship game.Ī missed penalty call late in regulation helped set the stage for a dramatic 26-23 overtime win by the Los Angeles Rams, who earned a trip to Super Bowl LIII, where they’ll face the New England Patriots.Īnd it left the Saints stunned beyond belief. And in the aftermath of another crushing postseason blow, Payton wasted no time informing everyone who was to blame for the Saints’ season being over. Someone had to answer for it all - the penalty flag that was never thrown, the game-changing momentum and the stolen victory. Not nearly enough time had passed to temper the anger within him, and the postgame apologies offered by the NFL office had served to irritate him only more. NEW ORLEANS - Sean Payton’s face was still flush with frustration when he grabbed a hold of the lectern.

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