Mike Mularkey Says NFL Admitted to Blown Call in Raiders vs. Titans

Another week, another officiating error in the NFL.

On Monday, Tennessee Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey said the NFL admitted a critical defensive holding call on the Oakland Raiders’ game-winning drive in Week 12 “was a poorly officiated play,” per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com.

Cornerback B.W. Webb was flagged for holding wide receiver Amari Cooper on a 4th-and-8 with less than two minutes remaining. The pass (which was not intended for Cooper) fell incomplete, which would have given Tennessee possession again with a 21-17 lead, essentially ensuring victory.

Instead, the Raiders parlayed the automatic first down into a touchdown two plays later and won the game, 24-21.

Webb commented on the flag in the aftermath, per Wyatt:

"

The ref didn’t tell me anything. I had tight coverage on (the receiver). He just threw the flag. I don’t know which part I could’ve held him...I don’t know. I personally think it was a terrible call, but I really can't say much about it. I didn't grab him at all. I'm not sure what the refs saw.

It was crazy, that play was kind of crazy.

"

It is easy to blame the officials, especially during a 2015 season that has seen plenty of blunders, but Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard provided some context to the end of the game, per Wyatt: “It sucks. Any time you don’t get the call your way you can always be upset about it. But we still had another chance to get off the field and we couldn’t get off it.”

The NFL has experienced a rash of officiating errors this season, which has led to understandable frustration from the fans and players. The league is a less enjoyable product when those charged with enforcing the rules do so incorrectly, and it has cost teams like the Titans opportunities to win games.

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com provided a potential explanation for the constant errors: 

"

There are 23 [officials] with two or fewer years of experience in the NFL—about 19 percent of the full staff. It was believed to be the largest period of officiating turnover in at least 13 years, and has created two segments of officials: Those with high levels of experience and those with little.

"

Experience	Number
First year	10
Second year	13
Third year	1
Fourth year	0
Fifth year	1
6-9 years	21
10-15 years	38
16-20 years	27
21-27 years	10

Seifert also discussed marquee officiating mistakes during the Sunday night showdown between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos that arguably cost Tom Brady and Co. a chance to win. There wasn’t as much national reaction to the mistake in the Titans game, which Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk surmised was because it was a “low-profile game.”   

Good luck telling the Titans that.