NFL head coaches have had almost no luck when challenging pass interference calls and no-calls this season, but the Oakland Raiders were on the right end of a no-call that was challenged early in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets paid off in a big way.
Demaryius Thomas got wide open for an easy touchdown in the first quarter, but the reason he was left alone is that an Oakland Raiders player was being illegally blocked downfield. No flag was thrown, but the play was automatically reviewed since it was a scoring play. The officials decided there was offensive pass interference and called the touchdown back.
In #OAKvsNYJ, Jets receiver blocks the defender prior to the ball being touched, clearing the area for his teammate. This is a foul for offensive pass interference. pic.twitter.com/bYgweWRiL2
— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) November 24, 2019
The Jets ended up having to settle for a field goal on the drive.
We have seen some instances this year where officials refuse to overturn the call on the field even when the evidence is clear as day, so it’s somewhat surprising that the ruling on the field was overturned. While it may not feel like it, it is still worth throwing a challenge flag in those situations.
