Official: NFL games are not fixed

07:09 AM ET 11.23 | Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, is focused on the 120 members of his crew getting the call right and doesn't concern himself with how mistakes impact the betting line. But, Pereira insists, there is no reason to question the integrity of his officials. After the Tim Donaghy betting scandal in the NBA, there is always going to be suspicion. All leagues must have their radars up to prevent any semblance of impropriety. Pereira told the Daily News the NFL conducted background checks on every official during this past offseason after the Donaghy fiasco. The checks are usually done periodically. He is not concerned any hanky-panky was going on in Pittsburgh. Still, it was an oddly officiated game. Scott Green's reversal did not impact the outcome, only the bettors. The crew also called 13 penalties for 115 yards on the Steelers and two for five yards on the Chargers. Pereira said he was told it was the 51st time in NFL history there was such a large discrepancy in penalties. Pereira said Green got confused and his eventual ruling that Troy Polamalu picked up an illegal forward lateral was wrong. "They talked him into such a confused state, he got screwed up," he said. "There were too many cooks, too much information, a sensory overload." Green, then working as a back judge, failed to call pass interference on a busted play off a field goal attempt at the end of the 49ers-Giants playoff game in January 2002 that would have given Giants kicker Matt Bryant another shot from 41 yards to win it. Green was promoted to referee in 2005. It was reported that $100 million was bet on last week's game with about two-thirds on the Steelers. It created a firestorm that has not died down. Pereira rejects all conspiracy theories about his officials manipulating the point spread. "I know my people well. I know all 120 of them well. I know enough about the facts to know that is not the case," he said. "In our situation, I think it is very unlikely to happen. We go through a series of checks and look at every play in every game."

New York Daily News