Would adding an eighth official, whose sole responsibility is watching the quarterback, prevent some of the no-calls around the league, including several in recent weeks that prompted reigning MVP Cam Newton and Panthers coach Ron Rivera to voice their displeasure to commissioner Roger Goodell?
One former official told ESPN he thinks it can help.
"A referee needs to have only one player to watch once the snap occurs, and that’s the quarterback,’’Gerry Austin, a former NFL official and analyst on the ESPN broadcasts, said this week.
“All he watches is coverage of the quarterback.