Are you READY for some FOOTBALL!!!

Jstas

IMO...Detroit never should have let themselves get in to a position where a penalty would be such a decisive factor in the game. They were the better team...for most of the game. But they let it get to that point and the Cowboys prevailed.

Bad officiating or not, Detroit is just as much at fault for dominating the game and then blowing the lead by scoring only 3 points in the 2nd half. They dominated Dallas the entire first half and then did nothing the 2nd half. You don't win playoff games sitting on a lead.


Also, I watched the play over and over again. Hitchens was holding about 2 yards off the line and let go. Shoulda been called there. But after he let go, Pettigrew had his hand on Hitchens' left shoulder pad and looked like he was pulling on him. Holding shoulda been called there too. Hitchens was leaning forward, and seemingly unable to turn around. His head moved to his left but his body didn't. The ball happened to arrive at the same time that Hitchens threw his left arm up to take down Pettigrew's right hand holding (which was Pettigrew's pass interfence at that point since he hampered Hitchens' chance at getting the ball) but Pettigrew let go to try and catch the ball. Hithcens' back was turned and he was not aware of the ball until it hit him in the back. Hitchens' flailing at Pettigrew's hold was pass interference at well but since he was unaware that the ball was coming his way, I don't think it would have been called anyway. The ball was under thrown. It hit Hitchens in the back and Pettigrew had to reach for it since he was well past the point where the ball was thrown. If Hitchens wasn't in the way, Pettigrew would have caught that just above his knees.

I saw 4 penalties there. A hold by Detroit, a hold by Dallas, an offensive pass interference and defensive pass interference.

It was an ugly play. Maybe the right call was made? Maybe it wasn't? But it didn't decide the game. Detroit's poor 2nd half showing decided the game and gave the pretty tenacious Dallas offense a chance to close the gap when it mattered. That was Detroit's game to lose and they did. Either team deserves to move on and either team has a legit shot at going to the Super Bowl 'cause either team is capable of beating any of the teams left in it.

It was an awesome game though! Talk about drama!

ken brydson

Bet this guy is pissed....

AsSiMiLaTeD

I think the fact that every sports radio outlet around the country is talking about that call and seem to share the unanimous opinion that it was a blown call speaks volumes. I also agree it didn't decide the game, still had a 4th down left to get those yards and elected to punt the ball instead so that's on Caldwell.

I think the larger issue is how the calls are handled. First, you have the refs calling playoff games differently than the regular season, and the NFL openly admits this. If it's a penalty in week one it should also be in the playoffs. More importantly, officiating needs to fall under the scope of the review system. It wouldn't have mattered here because this was a call that wasn't made vs a bad call that was made, but calls for things like roughing and targeting and unsportsmanlike moves should be reviewed.

This call didn't decide the game, but there have been calls during the regular season that did decide the game. Once one of those happens in a playoff game then the NFL will step up and fix the broken system, but probably not until then. It's a matter of when, not if...

Polkie2009

You're right about that , Detroit had about 5 penalties just in the 4th quarter didn't they? I've seen the Texans implode like that before.

Polkie2009

ken brydson wrote: »

Bet this guy is pissed....

Hey Ken, maybe if Dallas ends up winning the Super Bowl, the guy can get another tattoo of a cowboy roping in that lion.

Mikey081057

The ball was thrown behind the receiver and the defender. There was contact by both players. The right call was made, and many analysts also agree.. The ref who threw the flag after conferring with the officials who actually saw the play decided to pick up the flag... He and he alone is the only one who makes that decision. He threw the flag and after hearing from the officials who saw the play (who albeit were closer and at better angles) decided he was wrong to throw the flag.

Chris Carter on ESPN this morning said that PI should not be called when:

The pass is uncatchable (in this case because it was under thrown and hit the defender in the back)

Now there were other fowls (holding face mask) but they weren't called so you can't just call them after the fact.

What was the defender supposed to do?Lay down and not let the ball hit him in the back? He didn't know that Stafford threw a $hitty pass. Then the Lions decided to lay down and punt on 4th and 1 when if they could have gained a yard they could have iced the game. Cry me a river.

gce

You know what kills me is that the haters are saying this gave the Cowboys the win. HELLO, the Lions had the lead when this happened!!!

nooshinjohn

gce wrote: »

You know what kills me is that the haters are saying this gave the Cowboys the win. HELLO, the Lions had the lead when this happened!!!

I am a Vikings fan, so I have no dog in the fight, but it looked to me that the game was one of the most poorly officiated games I have seen in a long time.

Mikey081057

nooshinjohn wrote: »

gce wrote: »

You know what kills me is that the haters are saying this gave the Cowboys the win. HELLO, the Lions had the lead when this happened!!!

I am a Vikings fan, so I have no dog in the fight, but it looked to me that the game was one of the most poorly officiated games I have seen in a long time.

I would agree if you would include the running into and the not running into the kicker calls as well as the shot that Romo took to the back of the knees on the winning touchdown pass.

AsSiMiLaTeD

We'll just agree to disagree then, the overwhelming majority of everything I've heard today agrees that it was a bad no call and even NFL representatives have said as much, including the officiating guy on Fox yesterday.

One thing is for sure, it's a great call if you're a Cowboys fan which I was yesterday so I'll take it either way, though like I said I think they win the game without that call.

Mikey081057

Yes it was a bad call that's why the guy that made it picked up the flag when he realized his mistake

AsSiMiLaTeD

Nevermind, not getting into another pissing match on here.

tonyb

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

Nevermind, not getting into another pissing match on here.

Aww c'mon man, I just put in the jiffy pop. LOL

gce

Here's the Official ruling by the Official.

Referee Pete Morelli:

“The back judge threw his flag for defensive pass interference. We got other information from another official (head linesman) from a different angel that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference. Face-guarding is not a foul. It is a penalty in college but not in professional football.”

teekay0007

gce wrote: »

Here's the Official ruling by the Official.

Referee Pete Morelli:

“... We got other information from another official (head linesman) from a different angel that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference. Face-guarding is not a foul.”

Well....I would take the word of that angel. They tend to see things that us mere mortals just don't.

Apparently, he/she was even a face-guardian angel!!

cnh

Way too much discussion on stuff that's OVER!

On to this week!

Ravens at N.E. Could go either way. Hard to predict WHICH Pats team will show up, that's the real issue. If their best doesn't show Ravens cruise to a win!

Luck lucks out in Denver? Andrew's hand is burning, it bursts into flames as Manning keeps throwing "weak" floaters?

Cowboys DEFENSE is the question? Do they bottle up the A.R.? It can be done. You can slow him down and limit his production. Will the 'Boys do that or go into their normal "choke" mode leaving Seattle to mop up GB next week?

Does anyone really think that the Panthers? can win in Seattle? Next question.

Some uncertainty above so I expect to be wrong (50 percent?). lol

Now you know why I NEVER bet!

cnh

nooshinjohn

I think GB will walk all over Dallas, but I think the Panthers might just surprise Seattle, though I think Seattle will squeak through with a win.

Denver will find themselves again and annihilate the Colts., and Baltimore will be crushed by the Pats.

tonyb

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I think GB will walk all over Dallas, but I think the Panthers might just surprise Seattle, though I think Seattle will squeak through with a win.

Denver will find themselves again and annihilate the Colts., and Baltimore will be crushed by the Pats.

You picked a fine time to start sniffing glue my friend.

AsSiMiLaTeD

gce wrote: »

Here's the Official ruling by the Official.

Referee Pete Morelli:

“The back judge threw his flag for defensive pass interference. We got other information from another official (head linesman) from a different angel that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference. Face-guarding is not a foul. It is a penalty in college but not in professional football.”

You left off the part where the NFL head of officials also said there should have been a holding call, which would have also resulted in the first down, not to mention the fact that Bryant should have been flagged for running on the field without a helmet.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/12124549/dean-blandino-holding-call-missed-vs-dallas-cowboys-lb-anthony-hitchens

gce

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

You left off the part where the NFL head of officials also said there should have been a holding call, which would have also resulted in the first down, not to mention the fact that Bryant should have been flagged for running on the field without a helmet.

The holding call came before the interference call and they didn't see that until the replay. So that has nothing to do with this discussion. Running onto the field of play without a helmet is not illegal (Coaches do it all the time) its only illegal if you're a player ON the field and you take your helmet off.

So I'm not leaving anything out. They pickup the flag...end of story!

mantis

Denver vs Green Bay in the Super Bowl again. And again Denver wins it.

Conradicles

Panthers will win it all. Did I just say that on the internets?

ken brydson

Gotta come thru Seattle boys....

AsSiMiLaTeD

gce wrote: »

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

You left off the part where the NFL head of officials also said there should have been a holding call, which would have also resulted in the first down, not to mention the fact that Bryant should have been flagged for running on the field without a helmet.

The holding call came before the interference call and they didn't see that until the replay. So that has nothing to do with this discussion. Running onto the field of play without a helmet is not illegal (Coaches do it all the time) its only illegal if you're a player ON the field and you take your helmet off.

So I'm not leaving anything out. They pickup the flag...end of story!

Answer me this then, if the call was correct then why is everyone still talking about it? Every sports show was still talking about it today, a full 48 hours after it happened. What I linked to was how the NFL Head of officiating responded to it, so clearly HE thinks it has something to do with this discussion.

My point is bigger than this particular instance and I think some are missing it. I've already acknowledged that this call didn't hand the game to Dallas. The larger issue is the lack of consistency and inability to review calls, it's only a matter of time before that does ultimately decide a game and it would be great if we could get it fixed before then. After a game like that on Sunday it's a shame that the majority of the focus on that game remains around the call, not just here but in all the sports world.

So it may be 'end of story' for that game, but not overall

Mikey081057

There are questionable calls every week.. Add to the recipe that it is the Dallas Cowboys a team no stranger to controversy and the NFL and the media have turned this into reality tv.

tonyb

How do you propose to "get it fixed" ? I think for the most part, there's a certain element of human error that will occur in any sports officiating. It all washes in the end, sometimes your on the positive end of that stick, sometimes not.

I also think this obsession with micro managing every aspect of sports will be their ruin. I believe sports was much more enjoyable before instant replay.

gce

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

Answer me this then, if the call was correct then why is everyone still talking about it?

Everyone has opinions and you know how that goes...

tonyb wrote: »

I also think this obsession with micro managing every aspect of sports will be their ruin. I believe sports was much more enjoyable before instant replay.

Totally agree! I remember when instant replay came in...are you kidding me, just play the friggen' game!

AsSiMiLaTeD

A few ideas come to mind, probably more if I had time to think it over...

1 - Instead of these 'all star' teams of refs just put the normal crews out there, guys that worked together all year long function better as a crew than splitting them all up. This was a big part of the issue in the game, the call was actually made on the field THEN they got together, a normal crew likely gets that right and we're not having this discussion.

2 - Make the refs full time jobs and have 'practice', just like the players and coaches. Typically in life the more you practice some the better and more consistent you get, not sure why that wouldn't work with the refs as well. The NFL has PLENTY of cash, just turn those into full time jobs.

3 - Biggest change...add the penalties within scope of instant replays. It's absurd that we have instant replay for everything else, but not for penalties that can have just as much impact on a game. Don't add automatic reviews, just make penalties another item that can be challenged by the coach. Don't give the coaches MORE challenges, they still just get the 2+1 they get today, just make the penalties something that can be challenged.

I generally agree with you in regards to instant replay, I hate watching a touchdown and then having to WAIT to see if it's confirmed or not. Ideally we wouldn't have it and just let things stand with how they unfold on the field, but if we're gonna do it let's get it right.

tonyb

3 good points I could get behind. Still though, human error will still occur, bad calls are part of any sport.

deronb1

Mikey081057 wrote: »

As it has been explained, it was not pass interference as he did not impede the receivers ability to catch the (underthrown) ball. They got it right. The ref who thru the flag never had the correct angel on the play to make the call to begin with he just figured that since the defender never looked back for the ball that he interfered with the receiver. It is not a penalty to not look back for the ball, only if there is contact that prevents the receiver from catching the ball. Both players have equal right to the ball and their position. There was minimal/incidental contact by both players. He was never going to catch that ball and therefore never was impeded by the defender access to catch the ball... The flag should have never been thrown. If he had thrown a better pass and the receiver could have caught the ball.... well you know what they say about my "aunt" and "if".

WRONG! He made contact with the receiver AND never got his head around to poay the ball. Missed call and the refs admited they missed the call. They also missed an obvious holding penalty on a critical 4th down play in the 4th qtr. They were VERY lucky to win that game, and they know it.