NFL VP of Officiating Al Riveron gave a poor explanation for the lack of a pass interference review at the end of the Seattle Seahawks-San Francisco 49ers game on Sunday night.
Seattle had a 3rd-and-goal from the six in the final seconds of the game and tried to throw a pass to Jacob Hollister, who was held by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner.
— Viral Sports (@NotScTop10plays) December 30, 2019
It was a clear foul, and “Sunday Night Football” rules analyst Terry McAulay even said he was surprised the game was not stopped so the call could be reviewed.
After the game, Riveron said his office reviewed the play and saw nothing that rises to the level of a foul.
Senior VP of officiating Al Riveron on non-PI call against Hollister:
"Well, we actually looked at it here in New York. We had a great look. … What we see is the offensive player come in and initiate the contact on the defensive player. … The defender then braces himself." pic.twitter.com/wo5LNaTRgq
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) December 30, 2019
Even though the referees on the field did not call pass interference, the booth had a chance to stop the game to review the call. Riveron simply believes there was no need for a review.
Credit to the refs though: they definitely got the call correct on the following play.
