Inexplicable clock stoppage nearly costs Commanders in squeaker over Saints

Rattler connected with Moreau for a touchdown, but New Orleans' two-point attempt to win the game was unsuccessful. Washington won, and officials escaped what could have been a catastrophic failure.

Afterward, head referee Shawn Hochuli confirmed the error, telling reporters, "The covering official mistakenly stopped the clock in that situation. The clock should not have stopped."

Hochuli added that the play was not reviewable before declining to answer further questions about the snafu.

Again, we're left wondering what the point of having a replay review system is if the NFL won't let officials use it. Also, how do refs mess up something as simple as a running clock?

The error could have had major ramifications.

Washington (9-5) is in a tight playoff race with the Los Angeles Rams (8-6).

A Commanders loss to the Saints, who the Rams defeated two weeks earlier, could have significantly altered the playoff picture. Entering "Sunday Night Football," Washington leads Los Angeles by one game for the NFC's final wild-card spot.

And it almost happened because officials gave New Orleans an extra play.

As bad as that was, it wasn't the only time officials botched the game clock.

At the end of the third quarter, as Washington lined up for a field goal attempt, referees were unaware the clock had struck zero, and kicker Greg Joseph missed his try.

In that instance, the officials corrected their mistake and waved off the miss. Joseph made the 41-yard field at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

With the playoffs less than a month away, Commanders-Saints wasn't a great showcase for the game's referees, including Hochuli, line judge Tim Podraza, side judge Jim Quirk, back judge Jimmy Russell, umpire Terry Killens Jr., down judge Patrick Holt and field judge Jason Ledet.

Their inability to do their job successfully nearly led to Washington losing a game it wouldn't have without official interference.

The Commanders may have escaped, but the NFL can't let the officials off as easy.