The replacement refs have drawn plenty of ire from fans and experts from around the NFL during the preseason and the first two weeks of the regular season, and one man who thinks he has a case against the replacement crew is Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. The talented edge rusher pulled down Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert during the first half of the Vikings' Week 1 game, but the potential sack got called back because one of the replacement refs flagged Allen for offsides. Allen had some thoughts on that call, and he passed along his opinion to the media before Week 2.
Allen told ESPN he still thinks another sack should be on his career resume, because the official got the call wrong (via the Pioneer Press):
"I moved, but I didn't think I broke the neutral zone before the ball was snapped," Allen told ESPN. "When a guy doesn't move, I think it was his lack of movement -- the offensive lineman's -- that made it look worse than it was.
"I think I've got a rapport with the other refs. They might have given me some leniency and let me get away with a tight call. I don't think I was offsides still," Allen said. "He didn't blow the whistle until the guy got sacked. It happens."
According to a lot of experts around the league, the sentiment behind Allen's "it happens" comment is something football fans and players have been forced to employ far too often during the span of games with the replacement referees.
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