Referee Who Screwed Chargers Explains Controversial Calls (And Makes It Worse)

The end of a hard-fought contest between the LA Chargers and Arizona Cardinals was marred Monday night by two questionable refereeing decisions that completely changed the outcome of the game.

First it happened on the offensive. Justin Herbert attempted a go ball to Simi Fehoko, who was nowhere near after being tied up with a defensive back. It was a case of miscommunication between Herbert and Fehoko, who broke down on the track, but that didn't change the fact that there was illegal contact.

A flag was initially thrown, but was later picked up. The Chargers were forced to kick a field goal to take a 15-14 lead on the ensuing play.

That was followed by a late flag on a second-and-10 incompletion by Marvin Harrison Jr., which initially forced the Cardinals to go for third-and-long from their own 30 Contact was minimal and the drop was not due to contact.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh was not happy with the calls on the field and addressed the calls in a very meaningful way in his postgame press conference. Meanwhile, crew chief Clete Blakeman took the opportunity to explain the two calls in his postgame availability, unintentionally angering Chargers fans even more.

As for the call to Hart, Blakeman said“It was essentially helmet-to-helmet contact near the receiver’s head and neck area that triggered the unnecessary roughness foul.”

Blakeman may have explained the thought process behind the two decisions by not justifying the calls in any way. In fact, all Blakeman did was infuriate Chargers fans further over the poor performance.

Starting with the second call, Blakeman's explanation as to why he was called makes at least some sense. At first glance, it looked like Hart was going to take the lead with the crown of his helmet and touch Harrison, which would by definition be a penalty.

However, this was not the reality as Hart touched Harrison's shoulder first and contact with the helmet was minimal. It was a poorly timed hit that looked worse than it actually was. While the initial reaction may have been to throw a flag, the referees should have come to a different conclusion after the encounter.

As for Fehoko not calling… well, that's outrageous. Blakeman confirmed that the referees lifted the flag because the ball was deemed uncatchable. The only problem with this explanation is that it doesn't matter whether a ball is uncatchable because of illegal contact.

By definition, a defender “cannot make contact with a receiver who is trying to avoid him. A defender may use his hands or arms only to defend or protect against imminent contact by a receiver” outside the five-yard zone.

The contact was initiated outside the five-yard zone. It would be one thing if Blakeman said that Fehoko appeared to have taken the wrong route and that the contact had no impact on the game. But in his statement, Blakeman did not dispute the fact that contact occurred, simply saying that it was recorded because the ball was uncatchable.

It still doesn't make sense.