ESPN officiating expert explains why Patrick Mahomes could be a problem for refs during Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVII, last year's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, could've gone down as the best championship game of all-time if it weren't for a controversial call that gave KC the opportunity to hit the field goal that eventually won its third Lombardi in franchise history. It was a great game, […]
Super Bowl LVII, last year's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, could've gone down as the best championship game of all-time if it weren't for a controversial call that gave KC the opportunity to hit the field goal that eventually won its third Lombardi in franchise history.
It was a great game, but that ending certainly tarnished things, to an extent. So, naturally, it's easy to see why Chiefs fans, San Francisco 49ers fans, and NFL fans in general are hoping Super Bowl LVIII doesn't suffer the same fate. Especially after all the officiating issues we saw during the regular season and playoffs, up to this point.
But as we all know, anything can happen during an NFL game. Brad Vinovich and his crew know that no matter how much they prepare for this game, something unexpected could always crop up. And it could define the outcome in a negative way if they aren't careful with how they handle it.
"The crews know they're going to work this game for two weeks," former NFL referee and ESPN's current rules analyst, John Parry, said on Sunday's episode of Postseason NFL Countdown. "In the first 10 days when you're at home, all those feelings are great and euphoric. Then you leave… and Bill Vinovich woke up this morning with one feeling: fear.
"And the fear is, 'I've prepared my crew for everything that potentially could happen today – and the answer to that is no.' They've spent two weeks preparing, but it still is in your head, have we done everything, are we really ready?"
Parry has been the head ref for three Super Bowls, like Vinovich, so he knows what he's talking about and the fact he's willing to admit refs can't prepare for everything -after officiating three Super Bowls- says a lot.
And apparently, Patrick Mahomes won't make life any easier on the refs, either.
"We call them 'The Great Extender'," said Parry. "When you think he's gonna go down – he stays up. When you think he should stay in the pocket – he leaves the pocket. When you think he should run – he throws. When you think he should be throwin – he runs. This guy's unbelievable. It's like a playground for him. At times, the way he delivers a football on a pass isn't even conventional.
"So, he's tough to prepare for. And all those rules requiring defensive backs to cover longer, make it more challenging for the crew."
It makes sense the chaos surrounding certain Mahomes plays make it hard for players and crews to keep everything between the lines, so to speak. At the same time, these guys are paid handsomely and as Parry mentioned, they've had two weeks to prepare for this game. While it can certainly be tough – there can't be any excuses.
Fortunately, Vinovich and co. have a lot of experience. Hopefully that plays out well for the game. Because as we all know, one bad/controversial call can put a total damper on the final perception of the game and no one on either side wants that to happen.
"Two things stick out for me: Number one, half of this crew is what I would call 'old dogs'," said Parry. "They've got 20-years, plus, [of experience]. They're old-school officials. How we learned, was, make them big, make them jump. Don't be technical. When you combine that with a Bill Vinovich-led crew, typically his crews throw less flags. So that's what I'm looking for tonight."
Per Sports Info Solutions, Vinovich's crew threw an average of 13.3 flags per game, compared to NFL average of 13.4. So, Parry is kind of right, for the most part.
Either way, less flags than average is something every fan wants to hear before the biggest game of the year. We'll see if that's how it ultimately plays out.
