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The New Orleans were once again involved in a controversial play that cost their team in the playoffs.
At the end of Sunday’s Saints-Vikings playoff game, Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime.
The touchdown from Cousins, game winner.pic.twitter.com/UCsNDvMDzg
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 5, 2020
Many including former veteran referee Terry McAulay believed that Rudolph committed offensive pass interference by extending his and pushing off.
https://twitter.com/SNFRules/status/1213935055069990912
Looks like a push-off to me, but was it enough?pic.twitter.com/CZdiiMqsk5
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 5, 2020
Saints fans weren’t happy with the refs on the field and showed their displeasure by throwing debris at them as they went into the locker room.
Saints fans not liking the NFL refs? Why I never… pic.twitter.com/beeBeLFBLL
— Forever Quarantined🏈 (@ForeverGridiron) January 6, 2020
The NFL’s VP of officiating Al Riveron went on to release a statement saying there wasn’t offensive pass interference on the play because there was contact by both players but none of the contact was enough for refs to call a penalty.
"All angles of the final play of #MINvsNO were looked at in New York – there is contact by both players, but none of that contact rises to the level of a foul." – AL pic.twitter.com/FvnuA3I4cs
— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) January 5, 2020