Sunday was not what it was supposed to be. The Broncos and Patriots game, postponed due to positive Covid tests in New England, will be played in Week 6. In the meantime, the MHR Radio Podcast had to come up with something to talk about.
We did.
Obviously, the impact of postponing the game is frustrating. The Broncos essentially lost their bye week in 2020 because of the Covid problems for the Patriots. Fair? Nope, but hey, 2020.
So, instead of dwelling on the impact of the Patriots Covid cases, we turned our attention to the issues of officiating in the NFL. It’s just not good.
Obviously, there are still issues around the catch rule. Far too many variables at play in what should be the simplest of calls. And the most frustrating call is still the roughing the passer call on the perfect form tackle. Like I told Ian, just give the QBs flags.
However, one thing we think the NFL could fix in a heartbeat is spotting the football. Tennis has technology that can indicate whether a ball is in or out down to millimeters. Soccer has technology that indicates when a ball crosses the goal line.
How, in 2020, are we still using a chain gang? I know we don’t have flying cars, or houses in the sky, but the NFL should be able to spot a football using technology that is more accurate than some guys running around with 10 yards of chain.
And as Ian pointed out, the officiating in the NFL is starting to look a lot like the NBA. Offensive holding seems to have disappeared all together (to Garret Bolles joy), but pass interference has become a crapshoot.
Honestly, complaining about the referees is a sports tradition, but what I would rather be doing is writing about the Broncos game against the Patriots. If you want a silver lining, think about this; Drew Lock, Phillip Lindsay, and AJ Bouye could be ready to play in Week 6. Even Noah Fant might be ready to go.
While the bye week ends up being only a partial bye, the Broncos will be stronger heading into the eventual matchup with the Patriots in Foxboro.