Error could spur replay change

NFL officials and members of the league's competition committee are discussing a possible change to the instant replay procedures following an officiating mistake that cost Pittsburgh a touchdown on the final play of its 11-10 win Sunday over San Diego.

The potential procedural modification would permit the referee on the field to consult with the replay booth more than once on a call. Under current replay rules, only one consultation is allowed.

Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, said during a televised interview Monday that the modification could be made before this season's playoffs and should prevent a recurrence of Sunday's gaffe, in which the officials ruled erroneously even after a replay review that a touchdown by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu didn't count.

"Once you leave the sideline monitor, you can't go back," Pereira said during an interview with ESPN. "The replay assistant can't buzz you back. I think that is the way we can look forward to try to implement a system to where it doesn't happen again."

Polamalu scored the touchdown after he picked up a loose ball on an attempted lateral by the Chargers. The officials called an illegal forward pass on the play and incorrectly ruled the ball dead. Referee Scott Green acknowledged the mistake in postgame comments made to a pool reporter.

WINSLOW DUE FOR MRI: Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow will have an MRI exam on his right shoulder after injuring it in the closing minutes of Monday night's win over the Buffalo Bills.

Winslow was hurt when he was tackled in front of Buffalo's bench while making a 16-yard reception that set up Cleveland's winning field goal. The five-year veteran, who has had numerous injuries during his career, was driven to the ground by Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny and came up wincing in pain.

Winslow briefly left the field but returned and was the intended receiver on an incompletion by quarterback Brady Quinn before Phil Dawson kicked a 56-yard field goal in Cleveland's 29-27 win. Winslow finished with three catches for 40 yards.

FORMER OFFICIAL DIES: Jack Reader, who spent nearly 50 years in NFL officiating and worked two Super Bowls, has died. He was 82.

He died of cancer in Hingham, Mass., on Nov. 10, a day before his birthday, the NFL said Tuesday.

Reader was the back judge in the first and third Super Bowls. He was a referee and back judge in the AFL and NFL from 1960-74 before joining the officiating department as a supervisor.