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To the chagrin of dumbfounded coaches and confused teams, perplexed broadcast crews and enraged fans, every week across the N.F.L.’s vast empire one player interferes with another before a pass arrives — and goes unpunished for it.
In these moments, when yellow penalty flags remain lodged in officials’ pockets, aggrieved coaches weigh emotion against reason: Do they challenge the non-call, hoping that by sheer luck it will be overruled by the new video review mechanism? Or do they stew on the sideline, red flag pocketed, and resign themselves to the unlikelihood of a reversal?