NFL referees explain missed face mask penalty on game-winning play in Vikings loss

NFL official Tra Blake addressed the late-game controversy that arose from a missed facemask penalty in the Los Angeles Rams' 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night.

The Rams secured the victory when linebacker Byron Young sacked Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold in the end zone for a safety with 1:42 left. No flag was thrown during the play, but replays showed Young apparently grabbing Darnold's facemask, which should have resulted in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down for Minnesota.

“Well, on that play, the quarterback was facing the opposite direction of me, so I didn’t really look at it,” Blake, who has been officiating NFL games since 2020, told a pool reporter after the game. “I didn't look closely and of course I didn't see the face mask being pulled off. The referee had players between him and the quarterback, so he didn't get a look at it. He was blocked too.”

“So that was the thing, we didn’t see it so we couldn’t call it. We couldn’t see it.”

Darnold was visibly upset after the no-call, as was coach Kevin O'Connell and the rest of the Vikings offense.

“We definitely talked about it on the field because they expressed concerns,” Blake said. “We discussed it as a team, but we couldn’t see it on the field, so we couldn’t make that decision.”

Of course, if that flag had been raised, there is no guarantee that Minnesota would have tied the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. But the Vikings deserved to have a chance.