Mike Pereira Rips NFL "Suit" for Overturning Kelvin Benjamin Bills TD
Kelvin Benjamin and the Buffalo Bills had a touchdown overturned, despite the fact that there was not indisputable evidence. Former head of NFL officiating Mike Pereira thought that the wrong call was made:
Not in the studio but on the scoreboard here in Jerry's world, don't see how the Buffalo TD was overturned. Not clear and obvious the toe didn't drag. There is a line behind the toe when he drags it. Am I missing something?
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 24, 2017
The NFL football operations account defended the call:
In #BUFvsNE, when Kelvin Benjamin gains control, his left foot is off the ground. The receiver only has one foot down in bounds with control. Therefore, it is an incomplete pass. -AL
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) December 24, 2017
Pereira clearly believes that this call was overturned by a “suit” in New York:
regarding the Buffalo no touchdown, nothing more irritating to an official than to make a great call and then someone in a suit in an office in New York incorrectly reverses it. It is more and more obvious that there isn't a standard for staying with the call on the field.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 24, 2017
Pereira is absolutely right here. The play took so long to review that it seems clear it came from the league office, and there was not irrefutable evidence. Still, expect nothing to change here.