NFL must make face mask fouls reviewable

The Rams probably would have won anyway. But the way the door was slammed on the Vikings serves as a clear and obvious reminder of one of the biggest flaws in the league’s current replay system.

Face mask fouls continue to be not reviewable.

It’s one of the original safety rules, passed long before the NFL had its epiphany regarding player health. At one point, the league ditched the distinction between major and minor (five-yard) fouls and made any grabbing and pulling of the opponent’s face mask a personal foul — 15 yards and an automatic first down.

So why has it never been subject to replay review? It requires little time to see that it happened. The evidence is always clear and obvious. And the consequences of the failure of the officials to spot it in real time can be devastating.

On Thursday night, the failure of the officials to see that Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s face mask had been grabbed and pulled on the game-cementing safety eliminated any chance Minnesota had to drive the length of the field and force overtime.

If the foul had been called, the Vikings would have had a first down at their own 20, with 1:36 to play.

Consider the manner in which replay review has expanded over the years. More and more things that weren’t reviewable have become reviewable. And with the recent proliferation of replay assistance, the NFL is doing more than ever before to support the folks in black and white, who have a far different view of the action on the field than the rest of us.

When something like that is missed, it can quickly be fixed. But because the rules continue to prevent the review of face mask calls, nothing could be done.

Even on a scoring play (which is always reviewable), a face mask can’t be reviewed because it never can be reviewed.

Thursday night’s mistake didn’t just screw the Vikings. It robbed the league and the fans of a chance to witness whether the Vikings could drive the length of the field, score a touchdown, convert a two-point try, and force overtime.

And with the NFL’s full and complete embrace of all things gambling, folks who had bet their money on the Vikings to win had a nonsensical glitch in the rules decide the outcome of the wager prematurely. And, yes, at some point, an outcome like that will create a major problem for the league.

Hopefully, this will be the example that forces change. Hopefully, someone will be reporting on Friday that the Competition Committee will discuss in the offseason whether to make face mask non-fouls reviewable.

What’s the argument against it? (I’ll wait.) No one can say it will slow the game down. When it happens, it’s obvious. And it’s obvious that the NFL has failed to address something that should have been addressed long ago. Whether for player safety, competitive fairness, the integrity of the wagers, or any combination of the three, it needs to happen.

Even though the NFL typically resists changing the rules during a given season, it’s something that should be changed now. As long as the flaw persists, the chance remains that it will happen again.

What if it happens in crunch time of a postseason game? What if it decides the Super Bowl?

While it’s unlikely that it will change now (even if it should), it definitely must change in the offseason. Failure to do so will amount to (ongoing) malpractice by the league.

Again, what’s the argument against it?

I’ll wait.