Mike Pereira

NFL officials are individually better than ever, but overall officiating is worse

I think the officials from top to bottom are better, but the officiating is worse. And, you know, it's been created by replay. It's created by a system that's called 'O to O' Officials to Officials. They now have the replay guy in their ear. They have New York in their ear. It's easier to sit back and think that things are going to be corrected for you.

NFL pass interference replay rule won't return in its current form next year

I think it's impossible that the rule, the way that it is judged now, pass interference, the replay element, I think it's impossible for that to move on beyond this year. ... I think what is obvious to me is that the rule in its current form will not be back next year.

The NFL's decision to overturn Zach Miller's touchdown catch was close to laughable

They have officially tried to sell the fact that they were correct with their ruling on the field, which I'm sorry to say, but I don't want to call it laughable, but close to laughable... there's no part of that element of that play that is clear and obvious to overturn.

Any potential player ejection in the NFL should be reviewable

I think that we are at the point in this game where any potential ejection ought to be reviewable... because if everything's about players' safety... then if there are egregious acts that don't get called, even if they get called and they're not ejected and should be, then I think replay ought to be able to jump in.

Targeting fouls in college football are up 40% this year and it is hurting the game

The rule makers have to be concerned when they look at the fact that the number of fouls for targeting are up 40% this year. I mean, that's a big number. That's a big number that leads to longer games and really more questionable decisions.

If the Zach Miller catch had been ruled incomplete on the field, replay would have reversed it to a touchdown

I'll say it one more time, and here it is. If they had ruled that on the field as incomplete, both Dean Blandino and myself would have reversed it to a touchdown.

Hurdling over a center during a field goal is legal as long as there is no contact

So now you're getting these guys that are getting the running start and going over the top, and if they don't touch anybody, then it's legal. It's legal to hurdle. I just don't know what they could necessarily do other than to say that you can't jump over an opponent, and I just don't see them doing that.

The NFL has a 'goaltending' rule to prevent players from batting field goals away from under the goalpost

But, you know, there's such a foul in the NFL, which people don't really know about... goaltending. They used to put R.C. Owens, I think it was, underneath the goalposts at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. And he would try to jump up and bat the ball to keep it from going over the upright. And the league said, that doesn't seem fair. And so they actually said that you couldn't.

Yellow colored gloves and cleats should be illegal in the NFL

Should be illegal. I'm going illegal with that. Because we don't want to offend dumb people like yourself.

Harry Douglas's low hit on Chris Harris Jr. was not illegal or dirty

I say dirty from my standpoint is based upon whether it was illegal or not. And it's not illegal. I mean, he's in front. He's blocking low. It's a run up the middle. I don't think it's illegal at all, and I don't think the league does either.

NFL catch rules should be based on common sense rather than slow-motion replay

If common sense dictates that it's a catch, it ought to be a catch. I think one of the issues that has come up in this is that it doesn't belong in replay. This whole judgment area... That's judgment. It's 100% judgment. And replay ought to be based on facts, not judgment.

NFL technology, such as chips in the football to measure field goals, is going too far

I think this technology, in my opinion, is going too far. I mean, I'm watching the San Francisco 49ers and they're playing Houston... there's a chip in the football that's measuring field goal attempts and how far inside the upright each kick is good by... I don't know where we're going in this.

Ed Hochuli wears extra small jerseys to make his biceps look bigger

I'm saying if you think a guy that buys extra small jerseys and cuts off the ends of them, if you think and does 100 push-ups before he goes out on the field to make them look bigger, if you think that's a show-off, I think it's a show-off.

The importance of NFL officials being in peak physical shape is overhyped compared to their experience and mental processing

I think that the notion of the being in shape thing is a little bit overhyped a little bit... an official only has to cover seven yards for the most part. I mean, how fast does he have to move? And I'd rather have a guy that can process a thought and, you know, with experience and make some decisions versus... some, you know, guy that's 35 that can run like a deer but doesn't know, you know, delay a game from offside.

NFL officials love officiating at Lambeau Field and Soldier Field but dislike the Oakland Coliseum

Officials, the one thing they get caught up a little bit in is history, which is why they like the Lambeau fields and they like the soldier fields and why they don't like the Oakland Coliseum.

The New England Patriots have pulled shenanigans that have to be considered cheating

Based on the Spygate thing, which they did, and what I at least perceive to be enough evidence on the Spygate thing, to me, they pull shenanigans that are certainly have to be considered cheating.

The regular NFL officials 'beat the league' in labor negotiations because the 'Fail Mary' gave them massive leverage

And the second thing is, they beat the league. The officials beat the league. They got more than what the league wanted to pay... because of what happened with the fail Mary play, you know, the thing was saying quickly and beat the league at their own game. They got more money than the league was planning to give. And they got extension of their pension, which the league wanted to bust.

Jon Gruden was the worst coach in the NFL to deal with on the sidelines

Who was the worst coach on the sideline? Him [Gruden]. I don't think there's any question. And officials used to call me when I was in charge of the league and say, you know, Gruden was out of line.