With the Divisional Round of the playoffs approaching this weekend, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell engaged in a conversation with NBC’s Mike Tirico regarding the league’s current state of officiating.
Tirico initiated this discussion by addressing the contentious topic, prompting Goodell to respond.
“Analysts aren’t perfect, coaches aren’t perfect, our quarterbacks aren’t perfect. They throw incompletions. Running backs miss the hole, but we ask the officials to be perfect,” Tirico said.
Goodell responded, “”They’re making decisions out there in a matter of seconds.”
Despite the Week 17 controversy involving the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, Goodell staunchly defended the performance of the NFL’s officials.
“And you know, there are two teams out there, so … is he offsides or not offsides? That’s just part of their job. They are the hardest-working people I see. They take great pride in it. There are individuals who work to try to make sure they’re contributing to the game, but we have technology to try to do that, too. I’m very proud of what they do.”
The intriguing aspect of this conversation was its location—Detroit.
Over the years, the Detroit Lions have endured their fair share of questionable calls, leading them to hope that this trend doesn’t persist when they strive to secure a spot in the NFC Championship Game this Sunday.
More must-reads: