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NFL competition committee adjusting controversial replay challenge

INDIANAPOLIS — The next time Jim Schwartz or any other NFL coach throws a challenge flag on a scoring play, he might get a penalty.

Starting next season, he should get a replay review, too.

NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson emerged from Wednesday’s competition committee meeting in Indianapolis saying the most important thing is getting the call right.

“The bottom line is that we will get resolution on that play where we will get it right, where the play on the field is correctly administered,” Anderson said.

The loophole was exposed on the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game when Schwartz threw the challenge flag on an 81-yard touchdown run by Houston’s Justin Forsett.

Replays clearly showed Forsett’s knee and elbow touched the turf when he was hit by Lions defenders. But because all scoring plays are automatically reviewed, Schwartz was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and it negated the review.

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