The NFL needs to change the penalty rules after missing out on Sam Darnold

Thursday night's game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams ended in a win for Los Angeles, thanks in part to a missed call due to an apparent face mask. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was tackled in the end zone, pulled to the ground by his facemask, and despite an official appearing to stare directly at the play, the play was ruled a safety.

READ: Referees miss blatant facemask penalty against the LA Rams to ruin the Minnesota Vikings' chances of a comeback

As far as missed penalties go, it can't get much worse. After the game, the referees explained the missed call by saying they “didn’t have a clear overview” of what was happening.

“The quarterback was facing the opposite direction of me, so I couldn’t really see it,” referee Tra Blake said. “I wasn’t looking and I obviously didn’t see the face mask being pulled off.”

“The referee had players between him and the quarterback, so he couldn’t get a good look at it,” Blake said. “He was also faded out. So that was the thing. We didn’t see it, so we couldn’t call it.”

But why does it have to be that way?

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Vikings QB Sam Darnold is tackled for safety by the Rams' Byron Young (#0) and Braden Fiske (#55) during fourth quarter action at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, October 24, 2024 dismissed. The Rams defeated the Vikings 30-20. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

Spotted Vikings-Rams face mask call should lead to systemic change

Given the NFL's modern technology and financial resources, there is no reason such a mistake should happen. And the call, like all penalties, was unreviewable, ensuring the Vikings couldn't challenge. What could or should you do about it?

The obvious answer is to put an official in the press box at every game who has access to these types of replays. Instead of a challenge system, there should be a process in place to ensure that a member of the officiating team can respond immediately to obvious, unbiased calls. Face mask, false starts and penalties without official judgment should be corrected.

Face masks do not withstand penalties, they do not even impose penalties for passport interference. These are both calls with different interpretations in fast-paced situations. This is a special situation and challenge. The player either grabbed the face mask or not.

Everyone in the stadium, the millions watching on television, and within minutes the referees could tell that the Vikings should be awarded 15 yards and an automatic first down. Maybe they would have lost anyway, but there is no reason why a result should be decided by a mistake by the referee and not on the pitch.

Place a referee in the press box, and when that referee sees the replays, have him come down a few seconds after the play to correct the call on the field. No video review is required, just an instant correction. There is no reason why such a mistake should ever happen again. Especially as the games become more important as the regular season and playoffs progress.