We seem to learn something new about NFL officiating each week, and Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira gave the lesson in Week 12 on a big play by Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison.
Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus challenged a play, feeling that Addison stepped out of bounds. One angle seemed to confirm that Addison stayed in bounds. But after the ruling, Pereira was beamed in and shared two interesting pieces of information.
One, not every stadium in the league has a “boundary cam,” which was used on the replay in question.
Two, because not every stadium has one, “boundary cam” footage is no
Mike Pereira explains why officials couldn’t use the boundary cam on a review.
“If a coach is challenged, you cannot use the boundary cam. There’s not boundary cams in every stadium so there’s a question of equity.”pic.twitter.com/7i8wov4SxL
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 24, 2024
Got that?
Hopefully so, because Pereira added another layer to the mess a moment later. While refs cannot use that camera angle to decide on challenges, they can do so while conducting official reviews.
So on scoring plays, turnovers, or calls late in each half, the NFL allows officials to use every tool at their disposal. But if a coach is questioning whether a ref made a mistake and is challenging the play, no boundary cam.
There has to be some smart reason from the league for this, but it certainly doesn’t seem fair. If the point in restricting the use of these cameras to review calls is to create a level playing field around the country, there would be no exceptions. Instead, certain calls can be reviewed this way, while others cannot.
Anyone who watches the NFL expects these moments by now.
Earlier this month, Fox’s Dean Blandino agreed with fans everywhere that officials missed a facemask on Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. Pereira himself caught Ohio State head coach Ryan Day breaking a rule by entering the field of play against Nebraska.
This is a rules analyst’s job. Fox is lucky to have two of the best.
That doesn’t make it any less infuriating when your team is on the wrong side of the endlessly strange NFL rulebook.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.