Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating in his team’s 39-38 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Irsay stated that the league informed him that the officials “did not make the correct calls” during the game.
These comments were made on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) after discussions with league officials.
Jim Irsay says NFL informed him officials did not make "correct calls" at end of Colts' loss to Brownshttps://t.co/Y0dNry72nM pic.twitter.com/CtFO85HskA
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 25, 2023
The two penalties in question occurred at the end of the game and had a significant impact on the outcome. The first penalty was an illegal contact call on Colts cornerback Darrell Baker Jr., which negated a potential game-winning fumble recovery.
The second penalty was defensive pass interference, also against Baker, giving the Browns possession of the ball at the Colts’ 1-yard line with 33 seconds remaining.
Irsay not only expressed his frustration with the specific calls in this game but also advocated for the implementation of replay review for all calls, including penalties, in the final two minutes of every game.
This would allow for a second look at crucial plays that can heavily influence the outcome.
While the NFL permitted offensive and defensive pass interference to be subject to review on a trial basis in the 2019 season, this rule was not continued for future seasons.
It’s worth noting that NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero mentioned that the league office regularly communicates with teams about various calls on a weekly basis.
However, the discussions and outcomes of these conversations are not typically made public by team officials.
When Colts head coach Shane Steichen was asked about Irsay’s comments during a news conference, he redirected the focus to the team’s upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints.
“I’ll just say that you guys know the answer, probably, to that, and we’ve gotta move on,” Steichen said.
Steichen’s priority is on preparing his team for their next opponent.
