First down chains break in NFC Divisional game, fixed with tape

There was an early administrative stoppage in the NFC Divisional game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday. The head referee came over the speaker system and alerted everyone that the first down chain markers had broken. This was something I personally hadn’t ever heard of and instantly wondered what the fix was.

It isn’t like this is a common occurrence. Do they replace the set? Do they even have backups? How could they fix these chains? Well, the answer was way easier than I was expecting. Tape! The officiating crew is going with the “good enough” strategy and will be relying on tap to get the first down markers through the remaining of this NFL playoff game.

The Eagles started the game off with a scoring drive. Quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with tight end Dallas Goedert for the touchdown. New York was looking to respond with a scoring drive of their own, but the game was delayed after only a few plays due to the conundrum with the chains. For now, it seems like tape has come to the rescue.