To say the Minnesota Vikings are in a rough stretch would be an understatement.
The Vikings lost again Thursday night, falling to the Dallas Cowboys 17-15 to drop to 6-6 after starting the season 5-0. But it’s not just that the Vikes are losing, it’s how they’re losing.
Minnesota hung tough with the NFL’s best team the whole game. Down eight points with just over two minutes to play, quarterback Sam Bradford led a 65-yard touchdown drive and needed only a two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. Then this happened:
Why was Bradford’s throw so bad? Well, partly because he took a pretty solid shot to the face from Cowboys defensive lineman Cedric Thornton.
That’s an illegal hands to the face penalty that usually gets called, but in this case, the referees missed it. And since non-calls aren’t reviewable, the play stood, giving the Vikings another heartbreaking loss.
After the game, Bradford relayed the explanation head official Tony Corrente gave him for the non-call.
“He told me that I did not get hit in the face mask,” Bradford said, via ESPN.com.
Photo evidence would suggest otherwise.
Unfortunately, there’s no use bickering about missed calls. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick long has pushed for making penalty calls reviewable, but until that day comes, a play like this never will get overturned, no matter how blatant the refs’ gaffe is.
Besides, missed calls go both ways: The Vikings appeared to get away with a false start on the same play.
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images
