The 'NOLA No-Call' that nearly rewrote NFL history
In short: A single unpenalized pass interference in the final minutes of the 2018 NFC Championship Game sparked a national firestorm. It was a moment of human error that could have handed the New Orleans Saints a Super Bowl berth, instead forcing a dramatic sudden-death overtime finish.
The 2018 NFC Championship Game, played on January 20, 2019, featured the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams. Both teams entered with 13–3 records, but the Saints held the edge as the NFC's top seed with home-field advantage at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game was a grueling back-and-forth affair, with the Saints leading 20–17 in the third quarter before the Rams leveled the score at 20–20 with just over five minutes remaining. The controversy centered on a play near the end of regulation. Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman committed pass interference against Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis. Because the officials did not call the penalty, the Saints' drive stalled, and they settled for a field goal with 1:41 left. Had the penalty been flagged, the Saints could have run out the clock or scored a go-ahead touchdown to virtually secure the win.
Instead, the Rams matched the field goal to force overtime, where a Saints interception eventually allowed Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein to hit the game-winning field goal. The fallout was immediate. Saints fans attempted to boycott the Super Bowl and even called for a game replay. While NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the no-call as a human error, he ruled it insufficient to overturn the result. The league did, however, implement a new rule for the 2019 season allowing coaches to challenge pass interference calls—a rule that was later reverted. This game also marked a significant era for both franchises: it was the Rams' first NFC Championship appearance since 1989 and the Saints' first since their 2009 Super Bowl victory.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2018 NFC Championship Game
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