In the first quarter of Monday Night’s game, NFL officials decided it was important to enforce a visor rule on a crucial 3rd down play.
It was 3rd and Goal from the Jets Five yard line and Odell Beckham Jr. was sent to the sidelines. At first no one was quite sure why. Then the trainer was seen changing out Beckham’s visor. Apparently this type of visor is not allowed by the NFL. The problem is not the enforcement of the rule, it is the timing.
The officials of the game had plenty of time to inspect OBJ’s visor. This obviously was not done. If the NFL wants to say that it was done and they failed to notice his visor that is their own damn fault. It is the job of the officials, who represent the NFL, to do their job correctly. Failure to do this is squarely on those who are employed to enforce the rules. Rather than blaming the player after the game started, blame the officials who are incompetent of enforcing their own rules.
There were plenty of opportunities to make Odell Beckham Jr. change the visor, they just so happened to choose 3rd and Goal.
The officials could have made OBJ change his visor before the first play of the game. They could have made him swap the visor out after his one-handed catch on the sideline. An NFL official was right there to see Beckham and his tinted visor.
The official stares Odell Beckham Jr. right in the face as he comes off the field. Nothing was said at that moment, why wait to say something until a crucial moment in the drive?
The officials could have said that OBJ needs to change his visor after the drive was over. This would have been the optimal time to say something and fair to both sides. Wait until the team comes off the field after the drive is over to enforce a rule which is kind of stupid to begin with, but that is not the point.
Some will make it about Odell Beckham Jr. wearing the visor. Just like they made a big stink about his watch last week. Beckham wore a visor, big deal. Players wear tinted visors all the time, just a different version of a visor. The NFL apparently does not allow this particular type of visor.
At the end of the day it is not about the rule. It is the timing of the enforcement of the rule. Rather than making an arbitrary ruling they could have said something any number of times. Until the NFL begins to start using some logic and common sense enforcing the rules, their decisions will continue to be questioned.
