Chiefs should have gotten another chance to boot Steelers into playoffs

[Jooser]

Tomlin reacts to the blown call:

Steelers' Mike Tomlin reacts to missed call in Bolts' win

By Dan Hanzus
Around the League Writer


The NFL acknowledged Monday that officials missed a penalty call that, if enforced correctly, would've given the Kansas City Chiefs another opportunity at a game-winning field-goal attempt against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

The Chargers lined up with seven men on one side of the snapper for Ryan Succop's missed 41-yard attempt, an illegal formation that warranted a 5-yard penalty and replay of down. Instead, possession changed hands, and the Chargers won in overtime to claim the AFC's final playoff spot.

The biggest loser in all this? The Pittsburgh Steelers, who would've claimed the sixth seed had Succop made the kick -- or converted on a second shot at it from 36 yards out.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Monday that he noticed San Diego's illegal formation in real time as he watched at home with his family. The coach was asked how he reacted when Succop missed the kick and the flag wasn't thrown.

"I'll leave that between myself, my sons and our basement," he said.

Translation: Obscenities were uttered. Objects were potentially thrown. Dry wall might have been compromised.

"Obviously, there's a lot of work that needs to be done from an officiating standpoint," Tomlin said of the series of high-profile mistakes made this season. "I think it's been played out, well documented over the last several weeks -- not only in the stadiums that we played in but others."

Tomlin said he looks forward to being part of the process of improving officiating going forward. He certainly deserves a voice in the room after the events of Sunday.

[Iron Shiek]

Glad to see Tomlin call out the NFL. Hope this gains traction.[URL="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10215978/mike-tomlin-pittsburgh-steelers-coach-bemoan-missed-call-kansas-city-chiefs-fg-attempt"]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10215978/mike-tomlin-pittsburgh-steelers-coach-bemoan-missed-call-kansas-city-chiefs-fg-attempt[/URL]

Obviously, there's a lot of work [to do] from an officiating standpoint. I think it's been well-documented in the last several weeks, not only in stadiums we've played in, but others.

[Sword]

That game cost me like 10 years of my lifetime. What a way to end the season, ohh boy. However, we should not focus on the refs. The reason why we didn't make the team is the fact that this team was far from ready to play when the season started, This is unaccaptable and 100% on the coaching staff. Sadly we can't change the fact that the refs obvioulsy don't know the rules. There can be done something about the coaching staff.

I so agree with this!!!

This has been the problem for the last several years...slow starts...terrible..not ready....

[8467thekraken]

A friend of mine called me from Minnesota after the game. One of the first things out of his mouth was that he was pretty sure that San Diego had an unbalanced line on the KC field goal attempt. I was so upset I couldn't even entertain it.

Now, today, I am frackin' furious.

Yeah, we didn't win enough games to lock it up on our own. Acknowledged. But this is absolutely heinous.

This league is an absolute joke. I'm insulted by the ineptitude of the product on the field. It's pure trash.

I don't say this often, pretty much never, but I really hate the commissioner.

It angers and depresses me all at the same time.

GEEZ!!!

[Chucktownsteeler]

If there is any sense of justice, he should absolutely return the draft pick. The supposed rationale behind taking the pick was that it may impact the playoff picture. The ineptness of the NFL had an actual impact. While it may be speculative that Succop would have hit the second FG, the forward progress on the punt was not speculative.

The Steelers could have avoided all of this by winning any number of winnable games throughout the year, but two incorrect calls altered the playoff picture.

I couldn't have said it better.

[SS Laser]

It would be nice if the Steelers/NFL/Tomlin is even. Leave our draft alone now. Should the strip for a TD in the game been a TD?

[NorthCoast]

.........Dry wall might have been compromised.

haaa..haaaa....THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST ONE_LINERS of the SEASON!!!

[skyhawk]

Here's a little better shot of the infraction....click to enlarge...

Attachment 977

Seriously. That's blatantly obvious. There's a gaping hole to the left of center. Hell, the refs rarely ever miss the call of a player running up and trying to make a block or using another player to jump up higher but they miss THIS!!???

And there are TWO refs, and they only have maybe two total responsibilities on this type of play. WTF!!

[squidkid]

i think there's too many fans that think goodell actually give a sh it about how good or bad the officiating is.

[papillon]

Technically, the Chiefs wouldn't get a second chance at the field goal, they would have been kicking it form 5 yards closer and in all likelihood Succop would have still missed it wide right, the ball never came back to the left like most kicks and from 5 yards closer it actually would be off line farther.

I was upset with the fumble/ recovery for a TD, they let the back keep pushing forward after it appeared progress was stopped and then in a nanosecond after getting enough for the first down the whistle blows. That should have been a TD, IMO.

Oh well, let's go Colbert, CB and FS in the draft.

Pappy