Report: NFL Competition Committee to Discuss Expanding Instant Replay on Monday

It won't do the New Orleans Saints any good with their controversial NFC Championship Game loss in the rearview mirror, but the NFL's competition committee will reportedly meet to discuss expanding instant replay.

According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the committee will spend two hours during Monday's meeting to talk about the possibility of expanding the replay system in the league to include judgment calls such as pass interference.

Maske noted decisions aren't expected to be made as soon as this week, although "the deliberations begin in earnest" with this meeting.

This comes after Maske reported on Jan. 21 the league's competition committee planned on considering pass interference calls reviewable.

That report was in the immediate aftermath of the Los Angeles' Rams win over the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman hit Tommylee Lewis before Drew Brees' third-down pass arrived during a drive late in the fourth quarter, but it was not called pass interference.

Rather than having a first down and the opportunity to run out the clock and kick a potential game-winning field goal at the last second, the Saints had to kick a field goal on the next play. That gave the Rams another opportunity, and they took advantage and forced overtime with their own field-goal drive before winning the game in the extra period.

Los Angeles ultimately lost the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, while the Saints were forced to watch from home.

Even if the competition committee elects to make pass interference reviewable, it will need to pass a vote among the league owners. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted any potential rule change needs at least 24 owners to vote for it.