Bruce Arians: Officials need more work, they need six preseason games

[Captain Fear]

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Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians says the players may need fewer preseason games, but the officials need more.

Arians said that if the NFL reduces the preseason to two games, he worries that the officials won’t be ready to go when the regular season starts.

“We keep talking about these players going to two preseason games. I don’t know how we’re going to officiate with only two preseason games. Those guys need more work than we do. They need at least four, maybe six,” Arians said.

Arians is blunt, but he has a point: NFL rules change each offseason, and with major changes like allowing replay review for pass interference, the officials need time to adjust. The NFL is likely to reduce the length of the preseason at some point, and it needs to have a plan in place for getting the officials up to speed while they work fewer preseason games.