Mike Pereira says officials under pressure to emphasize safety
FOX officiating analyst Mike Pereira joined the show to talk about some of the issues around the NFL.
Pereira commented on defensive players faking injuries to slow down offenses. Pereira said it’s complicated because of all the attention on player safety. Pereira said there’s a fear that players would continue to play with an injury they’re not sure about just to stay out there — and make the injry worse.
Pereira talked about Atlanta defensive back Dunta Robinson’s hit on Philly receiver Jeremy Maclin, that drew a significant fine. “That to me was avoidable. I think he had time to change his target and lower his target,” Pereiera said.
Pereira said he saw a lot of late hit on quarterback calls he wasn’t sure about. Pereira explained there’s a lot of pressure on officials to emphasize safety right now.
Pereira said officials are expected to be 100 percent accurate. And that’s really not possible. “They make mistakes,” Pereira said. “Just like players and coaches do. Even I make mistakes. It’s a human business.”