NFL Reviewing Record? Really? – From the Bird’s Nest

Statistics help to drive sports.  That is a given.  It's especially true in the game of baseball where records are hallowed. But, in all sports, records are kept.  And, in many cases, revered.

But records are not more important than the game itself.  And, someone needs to tell the NFL that.

On Sunday, Peyton Manning broke Drew Brees' single season passing record with 5,477 yards.  The record was broken by one yard.  Manning did not play in the second half.  Had he chosen to, the record would probably have been broken by a wider margin.

Now, comes word that one of his passes, a seven yarder to Eric Decker, may have been a lateral and not a pass.  The play happened with a little over a minute to play in the first quarter.

It is customary for the NFL record-keepers to review plays from the games in the NFL this week.  And, there are many precedents for statistics being changed.

But seriously folks...

Is this more important than San Diego committing an illegal formation penalty on Ryan Succop's missed field goal at the end of regulation in Sunday's game against Kansas City? After all, the game only meant a PLAYOFF BERTH.

Then, in the overtime, San Diego fumbled and Kansas City returned it for a touchdown, only to have the officials say forward progress had been stopped and awarded the Chargers the football.

Neither of the plays, according to NFL rules, is reviewable.

Hey, no big deal, right?  After all, the only thing that came out of that was Pittsburgh got screwed out of a spot in the playoffs.

Nope... the NFL, who consistently says "getting the call right" is paramount, won't do a booth review on a formation or a fumble that is the difference between winning and losing.

But, God forbid a record is set because of a mistake by the official scorer.

Manning has earned the record.  And, if that play had been called a lateral, it's 99.9 percent certain he'd have gotten the record early in the third quarter. Besides, if you can't review a play that means the difference between your season ending and a chance to get to the Super Bowl, then what the hell are we doing here???

Which is why the ONLY decision to be made is, "the ruling on the field stands as called."