What did the NFL say about the latest official error?

The Washington Commanders defeated the New Orleans Saints 20-19 on Sunday to improve to 9-5 on the season. The win left Washington at No. 7 in the NFC playoff picture.

However, thanks to one of the worst refereeing mistakes in years, the game could have ended very differently – and that’s saying something.

The game was on the line late in the fourth quarter when New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler, whose team trailed 20-13 and the clock was ticking, made a fourth-and-3 from Washington’s eight-yard line was confronted. Rattler found tight end Foster Moreau for a seven-yard gain before several commanders tripped him up at the one-yard line.

No timeouts, which is exactly what Washington wanted. Moreau was tackled on the field, so the clock should have continued, but it didn’t.

Listen.

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The official stopped the clock and gave the Saints four seconds. This allowed Rattler to get to the line of scrimmage, set up his teammates and shoot the ball. There were three seconds left, giving New Orleans time to make another play.

Sure enough, Rattler found Moreau for a touchdown on the next play. The Saints went for two and the win, but the pass was incomplete, allowing the Commanders to escape with the win.

This should never have happened. The “free” four seconds granted to New Orleans would never have occurred if the clock had kept running.

Everyone who watched the game witnessed the bug, which was not fixed. However, after the game, referee Shawn Hochuli answered questions from a pool reporter and admitted that the clock should never have stopped.

“The officer in charge in this situation accidentally stopped the clock,” he said. “The clock shouldn’t have stopped.”

OK, what would have happened if this had cost the Commanders the game? Bad luck.

Hochuli said the situation cannot be verified.

“No, it’s not a verifiable situation.”

When asked when the crew noticed the error, Hochuli finished answering questions.

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Pathetic. And you’re wondering why confidence in the NFL’s ability to function is at an all-time low? However, if a player enters the podium and slightly criticizes the referees, he will be fined.

This wasn’t the only controversial call of the game. This game was full of them. That makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What did the NFL say about the latest officiating error?