Daily Madden: NFL Playoffs Officiating Exposed
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The Dallas Cowboys advanced in the playoffs with a 24-20 victory over the Detroit Lions Sunday, but some fans are still crying foul.
"I've seen a lot of bad calls and a lot of bad situations in officiating and that was one of the worst," John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. Midway through the fourth quarter with the Lions leading 20-17, pass interference was called on the Cowboys to give the Lions a first down in Cowboys territory.
But the officials reversed the call without explanation.
"We've all seen where they'll throw a flag and then they'll pick it up," Madden said. "But we've never seen where they throw the flag, announce the penalty, and then later pick it up... It was definitely pass interference."
Later, after a short Detroit punt, Dallas moved down field to score the final points of the game. Madden said the blown call exposes a flaw in NFL officiating.
"The guy that called it saw it, and then another official had to talk him out of it," John said. "And these are officials that don't work together as teams during the season, which has always been one of the dumb things that the NFL does. You go all year with a crew or the same crew, then you get to the playoffs and you make all-star crews up. That just doesn't work. You wouldn't do it with teams and you shouldn't do it with officiating crews." (5:40)
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 and Monday and Friday mornings at 9:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)