playRyan goes off on referee for Dallas coin toss snafu (1:09)Pat McAfee says the NFL got it right after reversing the coin toss snafu in the Dallas Cowboys game, and he and Rex Ryan chide referee Walt Anderson for the entire situation. (1:09)6:37 AM ETAdam SchefterESPN Senior Writer Close ESPN NFL Insider
Joined ESPN in 2009
Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four booksAfter the confusion about last Sunday’s opening coin toss in Dallas, the issue is now expected to be a point of discussion with the NFL’s competition committee this offseason, league sources told ESPN.In the game against the Rams, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott initially was not heard saying that Dallas wanted to defer the opening kick to the second half.The NFL could consider simplifying the rules for what players have to say during the coin toss for the 2020 season, according to sources. The discussion is expected to center around whether there is a way to simplify the language regarding the opening coin toss.As it is now, one of the team’s captains must clearly use the word “defer” when identifying whether his team wants to receive the ball to open the game or defer that choice to the second half. There was a question of whether Prescott used the word last Sunday before the NFL intervened and ultimately got the call right.Rams quarterback Jared Goff called tails for the opening coin toss that came up heads. Prescott then told referee Walt Anderson that his team wanted “defense” before pointing to the Rams and saying, “kicking it that way.”Anderson looked to confirm Prescott’s choice, which would give the Rams the choice to receive the football in the second half, too, and video showed Prescott saying, “We defer to the second half.”To which Anderson responded, “OK, you’re going to kick.”Prescott using the word “kicking” before he used the word “defer” created confusion over whether the Cowboys enabled the Rams to receive the ball to open the second half before the NFL intervened and ruled that Dallas would get the ball in the second half.But the fact that there even was a question led some last week to wonder why the NFL doesn’t simplify the language in order to avoid potential controversies.The Cowboys won 44-21.
Sources: NFL may simplify coin toss rules
