The NFL had not one but two Skycam incidents on Sunday. One is already too many.
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Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford addressed the issue on SiriusXM's Let's Go! podcast with Jim Gray, balancing his appreciation for the broadcast angles with concern over how the technology can affect games.
"I understand being able to bring the fans the unbelievable angles that [TV] does," Stafford said, via Pro Football Talk. "And sometimes, even as a player, I'm like, 'Man, that's a cool shot of what just happened,' and you really appreciate that. But at the same time, we've got to find a way to make sure that those things aren't playing a role in the outcome of the game."
Stafford recalled blowing up a Skycam lens during warmups for the Outback Bowl in college. He didn't even notice it until the ball hit. "If it's gonna be there and the ball's gonna hit it or whatever, we've gotta find a way to review that, overturn it, whatever it is," he said. "It could be a wide-open touchdown and we're hitting a wire somewhere, and you can't just replay that and act like it wasn't gonna be points for one team or the other."
The rulebook calls for a do-over if the ball hits the Skycam or its cables. On Sunday, a batted Justin Fields pass hit the camera on third and goal. The Jets should have gotten another play. Instead, officials ruled it incomplete and the Jets didn't challenge. Earlier, a 51-yard Vikings field goal in London appeared to hit a cable and was missed in real time.
Pro football loves innovation, but this is simple. When Skycam interferes, it's a failure. Twice in one day is a problem worth fixing.
