Expert thinks NFL could make change after Vikings-Rams face-mask controversy

After the Minnesota Vikings were robbed of completing a possible game-tying drive late in their Week 8 contest at the Los Angeles Rams because of a clear miss of a defensive face-mask penalty, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed that the league could discuss making such calls subject to replay review during the upcoming offseason. 

During a recent edition of the "NFL Spotlight w/ Ari Meirov" podcast, former NFL vice president of officiating and current Fox Sports rules analyst Dean Blandino spoke about how the league could react after multiple controversial non-calls impacted clubs during the opening half of the ongoing season. 

"I do think the league’s going to look at that," Blandino said about the NFL possibly allowing for some form of replay assist to be used regarding moments such as face-mask penalties not seen by officials on the field, as Sam Neumann of Awful Announcing shared. "Obviously, that’s a big play in the game. It results in a safety. It’s a one-score game at the time. So, I do think they’re going look at that and allowing replay to assist in those situations." 

In Week 5, a missed face mask contributed to the Atlanta Falcons' come-from-behind victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That incident, along with the one involving Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold, occurred in a prime-time window when no other games were taking place. 

Blandino mentioned during the discussion that the NFL making pass interference reviewable for a single season after the NFC Championship in January 2019 "didn’t work." No replay system is perfect, but sometimes face-mask penalties are clear during games. 

"Something like a face mask, though, to me, is less subjective. It’s simple," Blandino said. "You look at that play, and that play’s an obvious example. If we look at the video, yeah, (Rams defender Byron Young) grabbed the mask and turned the head."

NFL owners prefer to avoid making massive in-season rule changes, so fans shouldn't expect coaches to be able to challenge face-mask calls and non-calls before August 2025 at the earliest. For now, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will have to hope such a play doesn't determine the outcome of a postseason game.