The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are heading to Paris on Sunday, with both teams looking to get back on track and improve their records.
The Saints enter the matchup at 2-4, while the Steelers sit at 4-2. But the game has already stirred up old frustrations among Saints fans.
The NFL’s decision to assign Bill Vinovich, whose crew missed a pass interference call against the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC Championship Game in 2019, has upset Who Dat Nation, which has never forgotten the no-call that cost the Saints a Super Bowl berth.
Saints Fans Furious Over Referee Assignment for Steelers Game
The missed call from the 2019 NFC title game remains one of the most controversial decisions in NFL history. Vinovich has not officiated a Saints regular-season game since that incident, though he did work New Orleans’ 2024 preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.
“The NFL couldn’t protect Bill Vinovich forever (or they at least couldn’t get him to work a Saints game without gifting him a Paris vacation). The head referee from the infamous NFC Championship Game No-Call will work Sunday’s game with the Steelers,” John Sigler wrote in an article for The Saints Wire.
Reacting to Sigler’s X post, several fans quickly questioned why Vinovich was assigned to a game featuring the Saints.
“That’s odd. I know, historically, the league has banned refs who are involved in extremely controversial decisions from ever reffing a game for that team again. Soon after the no-call, I read that more than likely it would be the case with Vinovich and the Saints,” one said.
“Sickening,” a second fan wrote.
“Technically, he isn’t allowed in the Superdome. He did referee a Saints preseason game a year ago,” another remarked.
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The infamous NFC Championship Game was played on Jan. 20, 2019, when the Saints faced the Rams with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Late in the fourth quarter, Vinovich’s crew failed to call a pass interference penalty against Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who hit Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis before the ball arrived.
The no-call denied New Orleans a chance to extend its drive and left the team facing a field goal attempt with nearly two minutes remaining in regulation. The Rams then converted a 48-yard field goal on their next drive to tie the game before kicking the game-winner in overtime.
The loss ended the Saints’ season in heartbreaking fashion, which all but explains why Vinovich’s latest assignment has left some fans in disbelief.
“He should have been fired along with the one standing next to him immediately after the game,” another fan wrote.
“Of course they had to do it out of the country,” a fifth fan added.
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Most recently, Vinovich and his officiating crew also faced scrutiny over another controversial call involving the Rams.
During a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos last month, a late fourth-quarter defensive pass interference penalty against Los Angeles drew criticism. With just over a minute remaining, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw toward Pat Bryant near the right sideline, where Rams cornerback Josh Wallace intercepted the pass.
However, Wallace was flagged for defensive pass interference, nullifying the interception and extending Denver’s drive.
The penalty proved costly for Los Angeles, as the Broncos capitalized on the extra opportunity to move closer to the end zone and complete their comeback.
If the comeback hadn’t happened, the 2-4 Rams, who rank No. 21 with a PFN Team Impact Score of 73.7, would be 3-3, and concerns about missing the playoffs would be a little less pressing.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.