As the 2015 NFL season approaches it’s final quarter, it’s safe to say that officiating has officially hit rock bottom. On the heels of a weekend ridden with botched calls and constant backlash from players and coaches, the NFL and its officiating department are left looking for answers. One of the main culprits of this crisis is the large influx of new referees in the last year or two. After hiring a whopping 13 new referees before last season, the league added another 10 for this year. When it comes to calling NFL games, experience is absolutely invaluable, but the veterans that still remain are now having to overcompensate for the rookies. Dean Blandino, the vice president of officiating, insists that the number of blown calls this year, an average of almost five per game, is no different than any other season in recent history. The availability of up to the minute, HD replays at any moment in the game definitely provides some insurance for today’s officials and in addition, increases the habit of second guessing. One solution to this entire dilemma would be the inception of a full time referee. It’s important to note that most of today’s officials work a 40 hour week in another career, in addition to flying across the country on Saturday and calling games on Sunday. A full time referee would have the ability to reevaluate themselves much better during the week, as well as continue to participate in training programs to improve their craft. The fact that this is still a problem in week 12 of the season is very concerning, as nobody wants to see blunders like this occur in the most important games of the year and into the playoffs. Ultimately, the never ending epidemic of bad officiating in the NFL has to come to an end immediately.

Game Highlights:

Bears @ Packers: This NFC North battle was by far the highlight of Thanksgiving Day football, as the Bears topped the Packers by a final of 17-13. Chicago, led by their gritty defense, continues to grind out tough, grueling victories and stay alive in the NFC wild card race. Green Bay continues to struggle mightily, having lost four of their last five games.

Raiders @ Titans: The Silver and Black were the recipients of an absolute gift of a victory on Sunday, beating the Titans 24-21. The Raiders squandered a 17-6, second half advantage, but somehow found a way to pull out the win with a game winning touchdown drive in the last three minutes. On fourth and eight from the Titan 36 yard line, the referees called a defensive holding penalty against Tennessee, which resulted in an automatic first down. Two plays later, Oakland found the endzone for a three point lead. Just a day after this game, the NFL admitted that the officials had indeed made a mistake on the holding call, thus costing the Titans their third victory of the year. Nonetheless, the Raiders still remain alive in the AFC wild card race as they hit the home stretch of the season, with divisional matchups in four of their final five games.

Cardinals @ 49ers: The 49ers fell victim to an inexcusable, atrociously officiated game by the referees on Sunday, and were essentially robbed of a victory over a division rival in the 19-13 final. With under seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked for an eight yard loss at his own 24 yard line, but the officials called a roughing the passer penalty, which resulted in an automatic first down and 15 yard gain. Arizona went on to score a touchdown on the drive with two and a half minutes remaining. In postgame press conferences, players and coaches from both sides did not hold back in their criticism of the referees. The 49ers were flagged a season high 13 times for 81 yards.