
by: Barkley Truax 21 hours ago BarkleyTruax
The officials appeared to miss a pass interference call against the Atlanta Falcons during the Los Angeles Rams’ final drive on Monday Night Football. If called, it could have set the Rams up deep in Falcons territory.
The ESPN crew of Troy Aikman, Joe Buck and rules analyst Russell Yurk criticized the officials’ apparent missed call. Rams WR Tutu Atwell appeared to have his arm held by Falcons DB Dee Alford on the play.
“He (Tutu Atwell) goes up with only one arm and he’s (Dee Alford) kind of holding that arm out. I think that’s pass interference,” Yurk said. … “That first time it’s hand-fighting, but the second time he holds the left arm down while he’s trying to make a catch. That’s a pass interference.”
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Aikman gave the officials the benefit of the doubt in real-time. He even played devil’s advocate in Atlanta’s favor in their conversation.
“I hear what you’re saying,” Aikman said, responding to Yurk’s comment about hand-fighting. “In real time, that’s a hard one to pick up, I think. … Atwell, he kind of was pushing just a tad there himself.”
Buck agreed with his colleagues. He believes Atwell was never given the opportunity to make a play on the ball before being held.
“Watch the left arm of Atwell and the grab here not giving him a chance to go up and make a catch,” Buck said. “That’s a missed call.”