Referee explains huge mistake that cost Vikings in loss to Rams

The Minnesota Vikings were on the wrong end of a huge missed call late in their game against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, and the referee closest to the play had a straightforward explanation for what happened.

The Vikings were trailing 28-20 and had 2-and-10 from their own 5-yard line with under two minutes remaining in the game. Sam Darnold dropped back to pass and was pressured by Rams linebacker Byron Young, who reached out and grabbed Darnold’s facemask. Darnold was thrown to the ground for a safety, though it seemed apparent there would be a 15-yard face-mask penalty.

Even Young put his hands up to his head as if to say, “I can’t believe I just did that.” No flag was thrown, however, and the Rams were awarded a safety to take a 30-20. They won by that final score. You can watch the entire sequence here.

After the game, referee Tra Blake spoke with pool reporter Calvin Watkins about the costly missed personal foul. Blake said he and the other officiating crew members did not see Young grab Darnold’s facemask.

“Well, on that play, the quarterback was facing the opposite direction from me, so I did not have a good look at it,” Blake explained. “I did not have a look, and I did not see the facemask being pulled, obviously. The umpire had players between him and the quarterback, so he did not get a good look at it. He was blocked out as well. So that was the thing, we did not see it, so we couldn’t call it. We couldn’t see it.”

Blake said there was a discussion on the field because of the Vikings' reaction, but no one saw the infraction, so the play was not reviewable.