One week after the biggest non-call in years Jaylon Ferguson Jersey , the circumstances surrounding the latter stages of the fourth quarter of the Rams-Saints NFC title game continues to feed the never-ending NFL news cycle.Four of the officials assigned to last Sunday night’s game live in Southern California. That concern has been percolating relatively innocuously for several days; ESPN’s decision to make it a item has given it widespread attention, unfortunately.As a league spokesman told ESPN, “Officiating assignments are based on performance and not geographic location.”But that apparently isn’t stopping the suspicion that bias crept into the equation, raising the question of whether geography should be a factor in deciding who calls which game. Doing so legitimizes the notion that officials can’t set aside where they live, where they grew up, which teams they’ve rooted for Quinnen Williams Jersey , which team their family members root for, who they know, etc. when calling games. If the league were to venture into the rabbit hole of connective tissue between officials and teams, the league may eventually have to use something other than the best officials for the biggest games.It’s only an issue that four of the officials live in Southern California because the crew failed to call pass interference and an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit against Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. But if geographic bias were an issue, wouldn’t they have flagged the Saints player who grabbed the facemask of Rams quarterback Jared Goff?In virtually all cases like this, incompetence trumps intent. If the NFL hopes to minimize the situations during which fans and media suggest foul play http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , the league should come up with ways to improve officiating, embracing ideas like the late Dan Rooney’s suggestion of a video official who would be watching all camera angles and replays and communicating in real time with the referee to fix mistakes quickly and efficiently.The best way to rule out foul play is to do everything possible to eliminate errors. Even if the fix wasn’t in, stories like this fuel the fantasies of the tin-foil hat crowd. The best way to prevent that it is to do whatever it takes to get the calls right. The New Orleans Saints have placed left guard Andrus Peat and defensive tackle Tony McDaniel on injured reserve and added offensive tackle Bryce Harris and defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton to their active roster.
The decision to place Peat on injured reserve, announced Wednesday, has been anticipated since he was carted off the field Sunday with a fractured fibula during the Saints’ playoff victory over Carolina.
Peat, a 2015 first-round draft pick Jachai Polite Jersey , has been a key member of the offensive line this season because of his versatility. His main position has been guard, but he has filled in at left tackle when starter Terron Armstead has been sidelined with various injuries this season.
Harris returns to the Saints, who have had him on the roster several times this season.
The Saints have not announced McDaniel’s injury. McDaniel, who spent part of this season with San Francisco, played in only the regular season finale and last Sunday’s playoff game for New Orleans and made or assisted on three tackles.
Hamilton, a second-year pro out of Mississippi Chuma Edoga Jersey , has been on New Orleans’ practice squad since Oct. 10.