The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays.

Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games.

“When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings in Irving, Texas. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right.”

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call.

On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory.

“That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one,” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.”

Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist.

Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field.

The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist.

Low blocks: Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries.

“The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck.”

Onside kicks: The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis.

“We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.”

Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession.

Christmas games mean short weeks

You can count Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes among those who are not exactly thrilled about the NFL forcing the two-time defending Super Bowl champions to play three times over an 11-day span in the coming weeks.

The Chiefs are among four teams — the Texans, Steelers and Ravens are the others — who were picked to play on Christmas Day this year. But with the holiday falling on Wednesday, when the NFL has rarely played, those four also will have to play the prior Saturday to give them at least some rest. And the result is two short weeks following their games on Sunday.

“It’s not a good feeling,” Mahomes said. “You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time. It’s not great for your body. But at the end of the day it’s your job, your profession, you have to come to work and do it.”