Giant
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The NFL’s adoption of a rule allowing coaches to challenge pass interference calls and non-calls for the 2019 season generated a lot of attention during the offseason, preseason and opening weeks of the regular season.
What’s become clear over that span is that the league is not going to be overturning many calls on the field upon further review. Giants head coach Pat Shurmur learned that after going 0-for-3 on challenges over the first six weeks of the season, but the high bar for a winning challenge didn’t stop him from going to the well again against the Cardinals.
Shurmur challenged a flag thrown on cornerback Janoris Jenkins for making contact with wide receiver Trent Sherfield 25 yards down the field. It was precisely the kind of flag that replay officials have affirmed time and again, but Shurmur explained why he was still willing to risk a timeout and a lost challenge.
“Because I think it still makes sense in situations like that — where those are large chunks of yardage — to give it a shot,” Shurmur said, via NJ.com. “I guess I am going to continue to do it. I know they are getting overturned at a low percentage, but I felt like there was a push there [by the Cardinals], and it was a big chunk of yardage. It was in the first half, and I felt like it was worth challenging at that point. I thought it was worth the risk at that time.”
The call stood and Shurmur’s search for a call he can overturn will move on to Week Eight.