'Worst No-Call Ever' Costs Saints Potential Super Bowl LIII Berth

The Los Angeles Rams are headed to Super Bowl LIII to face the winner of the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.

This is a picture of Drew Brees.
Getty

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

This is a picture of Drew Brees.

The Los Angeles Rams are headed to Super Bowl LIII to face the winner of the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams' overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome was a prime example of how one play can change the course of history for an organization.

With game tied at 20 late in the 4th quarter, Saints quarterback Drew Brees tossed it over to wide receiver Tommylee Lewis down the sidelines on a bold 3rd-and-10 call. As Lewis looked for the ball, Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman bumped him without trying to contest the play.  

Another look at that no-flag callpic.twitter.com/PQIMkvrMHX

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 20, 2019

The referees kept their flags in their pocket, forcing the Saints to settle for a field goal, instead of a going for a game-winning attempt as time expired, if the refs gave them the pass interference call that they absolutely deserved. After the game, Saints head coach Sean Payton didn't mince words, proclaiming that the refs "blew the call." 

Sean Payton: “Just getting off the phone with the league office. They blew the call.”

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) January 20, 2019

Nearly everyone agreed with Payton's assessment of the controversial moment, calling it one of the worst no-calls ever. 

I'm as big a Rams fan you will find and that is one of the worst no-calls I've ever seen. Abhorrently bad.

— Riley McAtee (@RileyMcAtee) January 20, 2019

That’s terrible. That’s one of the worst no call I ever seen 👀. This got to be a joke 😂😂😂 #RamsvsSaints

— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) January 20, 2019

That is a terrible no call. The officials don’t want to make calls at the end of playoff games but that pass interference has to be called.

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) January 20, 2019

Referees that aren’t doing birdbox challenge during the game? https://t.co/6MC2bilZTE

— James Harrison (@jharrison9292) January 20, 2019

If I was a Saints fan that no call would be the only thing I talk about for the rest of my life

— feitelberg (@FeitsBarstool) January 20, 2019

That no call was so bad that every single time they show a replay, it gets worse. I'm now thinking it was the worst no call in NFL playoff history.

— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) January 20, 2019

That is the worst no call in football history. Literally. Not an exaggeration. These referees need to be fired and banned from ever stepping foot in an #NFL stadium.

— Ben Kolodzinski (@brkolo) January 20, 2019

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