The Rams probably would have won anyway. But the way the door was slammed on the Vikings is a stark reminder of one of the biggest flaws in the league’s current replay system.

Face mask errors still cannot be assessed.

It’s one of the original safety rules, adopted long before the NFL had its epiphany on player health. At one point, the league dropped the distinction between major and minor (five-yard) fouls and made every grabbing and pulling of an opponent’s face mask a personal foul: 15 yards and an automatic first down.

So why has it never been subject to a repeat assessment? It takes little time to see that it has happened. The evidence is always clear and obvious. And the consequences of officials’ inability to detect it in real time could be devastating.

On Thursday night, the officials’ inability to see that Viking quarterback Sam Darnold’s face mask had been grabbed and pulled on the play-cementing safety eliminated any chance of Minnesota having to drive the length of the field and force overtime.

Had the foul been called, the Vikings would have had a first down at their own 20 with 1:36 to play.

Think of the way repeat assessments have expanded over the years. More and more things that were not negotiable have become negotiable. And with the recent increase in replay assistance, the NFL is doing more than ever before to support the people in black and white, who have a very different view of the action on the field than the rest of us.

If something like this is missed, it can be remedied quickly. But as the rules continue to prevent the review of mask calls, nothing could be done.

Even in a scoring game (which can always be rated), a face mask cannot be rated, because it can never be rated.

Thursday night’s mistake didn’t just cause problems for the Vikings. It robbed the league and fans of the opportunity to see if the Vikings could cover the entire field, score a touchdown, convert a two-point try and force overtime.

And now that the NFL is fully embracing all things gambling, people who had bet their money on the Vikings to win had a nonsensical error in the rules that prematurely determined the outcome of the bet. And yes, at some point such an outcome will create a major problem for the league.

Hopefully this is the example of forces changing. Hopefully someone will report on Friday that the offseason Competition Committee will discuss whether non-infringement face masks should be made testable.

What’s the argument against it? (I’ll wait.) No one can say this will slow down the game. When it happens, it’s obvious. And it’s clear that the NFL has failed to address something that should have been addressed a long time ago. Whether it’s player safety, fair competition, betting integrity or a combination of the three, it has to be done.

Even though the NFL typically opposes changing the rules during a given season, it is something that needs to be changed now. As long as the error persists, there is a chance it will happen again.

What if it happens in the crucial time of a postseason game? What if it decides the Super Bowl?

While it’s unlikely to change now (even if it should), it definitely needs to change in the offseason. Failure to do so will amount to (continued) malpractice by the league.

Again, what’s the argument against that?

I’m waiting.