Riveron: NFL 'Very Comfortable' Not Calling Offensive PI on Kyle Rudolph's OT TD

Pass interference will loom large for the New Orleans Saints for the second offseason in a row.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins hit tight end Kyle Rudolph on a four-yard touchdown pass to hand the third-seeded Saints a 26-20 overtime loss in their NFC wild-card matchup Sunday afternoon. Rudolph appeared to push off on cornerback P.J. Williams, but offensive pass interference was not called:

NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron doubled down on the non-call afterward, saying the league is "very comfortable" with the result:

Saints kicker Wil Lutz had nailed a 49-yard field goal to send the game into overtime, but sixth-seeded Minnesota never let the New Orleans get the ball again by finding the end zone on the first possession of the extra period.  

Several people disagreed with Riveron's assessment of the touchdown that ended the Saints' season, however:

New Orleans infamously lost last year's NFC Championship Game 26-23 to the Los Angeles Rams—also in overtime—at least in part because of an uncalled defensive pass interference late in the fourth quarter. That was the impetus for a rule change in the offseason, allowing pass interference calls or non-calls to be reviewed. 

Sunday's result lathered salt on that wound as well as the recent memory of losing in the 2017 NFC Divisional Round to the Vikings on the last-second "Minneapolis Miracle" that saw then-quarterback Case Keenum hit receiver Stefon Diggs for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired:

The Saints have not advanced to the Super Bowl since winning it in 2010.

The Vikings will next face the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers on Saturday afternoon at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.