Sean Payton Calls Out NFL Over Failed Pass Interference Rule

If there is anyone in the NFL that has a legitimate gripe with the way pass interference was called and the impact that a missed call can have on a season, it's New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who helped make pass interference reviewable after the Saints were cost a spot in the Super Bowl due to a missed call on Los Angeles Rams corner Nickell Robey-Coleman in 2019.

Unfortunately, the rule change ended up being more headache than solution, and the league reversed course after just one year.

Payton claimed that the league didn't take appropriate measures to prepare refs for making these sort of judgements, which is what led to the poor implementation of the rule.

"Obviously, we weren’t prepared to enforce that and monitor that the correct way,” Payton said on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore. “Quite honestly, we weren’t ready in New York to handle it. I know that sounds critical, but that’s just a fact.”

Only about 11 percent of pass interference reviews resulted in the call being overturned, meaning the biggest practical effect they had on the game was slowing the pace down. Even most Saints fans have to admit that the rule as it was being enforced was all but meaningless.

The principle of "getting the call right" is a noble pursuit that motivated Payton to fight for the rule change. However, the execution of this new rule was a complete disaster, and it's no wonder the rule won't be back in 2020.