A day after a controversial intentional grounding call helped push the Redskins out of field goal range late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 34-31 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the NFL is sticking by its referees.
An NFL spokesman said Monday that the “judgment lies with the referee” on whether Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins was facing pressure when called for the penalty.
With 31 seconds left at New Orleans’ 34-yard line, Cousins threw the ball out of bounds, beyond the line of scrimmage with no receiver in the area. By rule, that is considered intentional grounding if the referee determines the quarterback is “facing an imminent loss of yardage because of pressure from the defense.