Rams Coach Sean McVay Jokes About Controversial NFC Title Game No-Call

Fans of the New Orleans Saints are not a forgiving group of people considering the death threats [...]

By John Newby

Fans of the New Orleans Saints are not a forgiving group of people considering the death threats against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the bounties placed on referees from the NFC Championship Game. Now, they may have another person on the lengthy list in the form of Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.

The young phenom known for his impressive memory recently appeared on a series for Bleacher Report called Ditch the Playbook With Lefkoe. During this segment, podcast host Adam Lefkoe caught up with McVay at Rams practice to discuss some plays from his football playing career, as well as whether or not Rudy was offsides in the titular movie.

However, there was one moment that could certainly anger Saints fans. In reference to a joke about referees not understanding pass interference, McVay smiled and said, "worked in our favor."

For context, this references a play from the 2018 NFC Championship Game between the Rams and the Saints. Late in the fourth quarter, there was a blatant missed pass interference penalty when Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman illegally hit Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis.

This play should have been called, giving Drew Brees and co. a first down late in regulation, but the Saints were instead forced to kick a field goal. The Rams would go on to win in overtime, booking a trip to Super Bowl LIII, while the Saints and their enraged fans headed home.

This play was so controversial that it became instrumental in a rule change for the 2019 season. Coaches are now allowed to throw a red challenge flag if they feel that pass interference has been called incorrectly or not at all. This rule had been discussed as a possibility in years prior, but the play in the NFC Championship made it a reality.

For McVay's sake, the hope is that the Saints fans do not see this comment on social media. Yes, the play is over and the new year has begun, but those that reside in New Orleans have not forgotten or forgiven the referees for this missed call. As Monday night's game against the Houston Texans showed, there were dozens of fans dressed up in referee outfits and holding signs about how they would "never let it go."

This certainly doesn't bode well for the Rams coach if the clip goes viral among Saints fans. Although he can always hope that the Steve Allen quote from 1957 proves accurate. Tragedy plus time equals comedy.

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