Saints vs. Rams: NFL Officials' Chief Accepts Blame, Payton, Robey-Coleman React

The Los Angeles Rams may have won the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game 26-23 in overtime against the New Orleans Saints to make Super Bowl LIII on Sunday night, but the entire focus was on the officials after the game after a controversial non-call for pass interference.

With just under two minutes remaining, the Saints faced a third-and-10 and a conversion would have given them a chance to run the clock down and attempt a field goal that would have seen them make the Super Bowl. Drew Brees, the Saints quarterback, looked for receiver Tommylee Lewis, but he got taken out by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman before the ball even reached him.

There would not have been too many people watching who had a doubt about it being a clear pass-interference, but a flag never came. He hit the receiver before the pass got there and did not even attempt to play the ball. It was a moment that will live long in the minds of the officials and the Saints.

Robey-Coleman even admitted after the game that it was a “PI” while also admitting he knew “he was beat” and was only trying to prevent the touchdown. The cornerback also informed ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry the officials informed him that the ball had been tipped which was the reason the interference was not called.

But video replays clearly showed it was not tipped on its way to Lewis. It was a big miss on the part of the officials, especially at such a crucial juncture. Saints coach Sean Payton admitted after the game that he had been on the phone with the league office and the head of officials Alberto Riverson admitted that the covering official had “messed up”.

"For a call like that not to be made, man, it's just hard to swallow. And then to get a phone call ..." Payton said, as quoted on ESPN. "We spoke initially, then I called to follow up. And the first thing [head of officials Alberto Riveron] said when I got on the phone -- 'We messed it up.'”

Payton admitted it was a disappointing way to lose an NFC championship game and believes it will be a tough one for everyone involved with the Saints to swallow. There was an immediate uproar from supporters like Hulk Hogan and Meisha Tate while even a causeway sign signaling they had been robbed off a place in the Super Bowl.

"Obviously, it's a disappointing way to lose a game. Frustrating," Payton said to start his postgame news conference. "And, man -- there were a lot of opportunities, though -- but that call puts it first-and-10, we're on a knee three plays, and it's a game-changing call.”

"So what do you do? You get back up, and you got to work. This will be a tough one for these players, for the coaches. ... But it happened, though, so we can't dwell on it. And we'll probably never get over it," he added.

Bill Vinovich, the head referee, was interviewed after the game and he indicated it was a judgment call made by the covering official and that he had not seen the play. He also confirmed that the play was not a reviewable one despite it being a clear pass-interference.

“It was a judgment call by the covering official. I personally have not seen the play,” Vinovich told pool reporter Amie Just. “It is not a reviewable play.”