Another blown call Sunday in NFC game with big implications - I see or hear nothing

[feltdizz]

Defenders have every right to the football as the receiver does. I guess it would make more sense to me if it was a flagrant foul, say if the defender tackles the receiver before the ball arrives. But if the defender and receiver are battling for position and there's some inadvertent contact, no way should the offense gain 45 yards, have the ball placed on the 1, and have four chances to punch it in. Joe Flacco makes his $120 million living this way.

I know it's an offensive league and fantasy nerds want to see more points, but I think it would be fair for the referee to differentiate between the two. Then again, that's one more thing they'll get wrong unless it was under review.

I agree with the flagrant foul... first thing I thought was DB's would be tackling WR's

[Slapstick]

Just what is a full time ref?? What does that even mean? Football is only 4-5 months a year or 16-18 weekends, etc.

The NFL refs are as full time as you can get.

Great post btw. It's almost impossible to please anyone these days in regards to refs.. A totally thankless profession.

Refs who make game changing calls incorrectly and allow teams to make the postseason wrongly and/or cost other teams playoff victories do not deserve thanks...

[Slapstick]

if the Pass INT was 15 yards DB's would commit some of the most atrocious fouls known to man...

I disagree. If PI were only a 15 yard penalty, I think refs would be more likely to throw the flag instead of letting Seattle DBs get away with murder...refs are afraid to throw the flag more than one or two times, especially when a team like Seattle are practically TSA security screeners...

[sick beats]

Seattle got more than one ridiculous call to win a close game. It wouldn't bother me as much if those fans didnt make such a big deal of the SB XL calls (of which, several were fortunate but no one egregious). Idiots let Madden and the media shape their opinions.

To be fair, the offensive pass interference called on Hawk's first drive was a really bad call. The receiver barely touched the defender. That was horse sh-t. The rest weren't as bad.

[Sugar]

Even worse was not being able to challenge the play in which Bowman clearly recovered the goalline fumble and maintained possession going to the ground in spite of his knee being torn up gruesomely. That has to change. They aren't talking about that one because of football god karma which resulted in Lynch mishandling the handoff attempt on the next play.

They should go with the Belichick suggestion that every damn thing is reviewable (including judgment calls like pass interference...most of the time it is crystal clear on replay if it was P.I. or not, and if you are giving teams a spot foul which may be a 50+ yard penalty, then coaches should be able to challenge something like that).

And all reviews should be made from central league HQ in New York like the NHL does with his war room in Toronto. Put guys in there who are extremely knowledgeable, but whose bodies are not able to get it done on the field anymore.

I agree with this idea. I think that is something that should be more important than adding games or getting rid of the PAT.

[papillon]

we can blame the official all we want but nothing is going to make them better. the players are getting bigger and faster while the majority of refs are getting older, fatter and slower. Full time refs wont solve this problem. People are gonna make mistakes and miss things. everyone of us do it every day with our jobs. these refs make 95% or greater correct calls and get lambasted for the small percentage of the ones they miss. how many of us would want to get raked over the coals for doing our jobs almost perfect every day? Im no referee apologist. i get just as pissed as the next guy when i see these bad calls. the problem is we get to see every single play at 10 different angles in super slow motion repeatedly. we get to hear head of officials scrutinize bad calls immediately.
the league needs to either do away with all these tv angles they show us or get a review process that can correct ALL ****ty calls or non calls. the technology is there.

I have absolutely no problem with referees missing calls as long as they are making the call. But, when you have replays and see a mistake but its unreviewable then, that's just stupid, IMO.

Let the officials call the game, the game was 10 times better in the 70s and 80s than it is today and the instant replay is one of the biggest problems.

Pappy

[feltdizz]

I disagree. If PI were only a 15 yard penalty, I think refs would be more likely to throw the flag instead of letting Seattle DBs get away with murder...refs are afraid to throw the flag more than one or two times, especially when a team like Seattle are practically TSA security screeners...

that isn't a good thing... Seattle's DB's play great D. Ike used to play D like that before age caught up with him...

[Ghost]

NFL starts in June/July with camps and ends in January.. the other 5 to 6 months should be used for conditioning and getting familiar with rule changes.

IMO it has nothing to do with being full time... it has to do with the spread. CONSPIRACY!!!

Yep. The Steelers missed a real chance at making the playoffs because not one but two refs standing within 5 yards of the San Diego D line didn't know about the new rule this year limiting the number of men that can line up on one side of the center. That's not missing a bang-bang play; that's full incompetence.

And the missed running into the punter in San Fran - Sea was also a matter of not understanding the rules, not a missed call. The entire world saw the defender crash into his planted leg, which is a 15 yarder per the rule book and none of the men in stripes stepped up to ensure the proper call was made.

And if people don't want to make refs full time then start firing guys (or at least suspend them with loss of pay for multiple games) who make egregious calls that are based on not knowing the rule book. Couple of firings or suspensions and you can damn well better believe the refs will study the rule book.

[squidkid]

Yep. The Steelers missed a real chance at making the playoffs because not one but two refs standing within 5 yards of the San Diego D line didn't know about the new rule this year limiting the number of men that can line up on one side of the center. That's not missing a bang-bang play; that's full incompetence.

And the missed running into the punter in San Fran - Sea was also a matter of not understanding the rules, not a missed call. The entire world saw the defender crash into his planted leg, which is a 15 yarder per the rule book and none of the men in stripes stepped up to ensure the proper call was made.

And if people don't want to make refs full time then start firing guys (or at least suspend them with loss of pay for multiple games) who make egregious calls that are based on not knowing the rule book. Couple of firings or suspensions and you can damn well better believe the refs will study the rule book.

we missed the playoffs because we suck, as players, coaches, front office or a combination. not because of the refs

[Captain Crunch]

we missed the playoffs because we suck, as players, coaches, front office or a combination. not because of the refs

You have a straw man argument... what if the Steelers were 9-7 or say 10-6 and the same string of events happened... did they still not deserve to get into the playoff because the refs went brain dead on the KC field goal attempt? The record is immaterial as long as they would have been made eligible for the playoffs based upon the right call by the refs... The entry bar was set by all the other teams performance/records this year and the Steelers were denied because of why? Was it the refs with the wrong call? Hmmmm

[papillon]

Agreed on all points. I'm not sure why Goodell and his goons can't figure out what I think are common sense solutions.

And I never understood the pass interference spot foul. It should be 15 yard penalty.

Do you know an attorney with common sense? That's an oxymoron or is it just a moron?

No offense to PhillyEsq.

Pappy

[Ghost]

we missed the playoffs because we suck, as players, coaches, front office or a combination. not because of the refs

Mostly I agree with you squid. Their ridiculous start to the season and multiple games that could have been won is what ultimately cost them the post season. With that said, it's not as if the Chargers were a more deserving team. And it doesn't change the fact that multiple refs standing on the field within a few yards, whose job was to review the formation, didn't know or understand a new rule and blew a call that absolutely had the chance to change the teams that qualified for a post-season spot.

Goodell mentioned Tomlin's being on the field during the KO return as potentially having "playoff implications" and that's why the heavy punishment. But the refs blew the Pats - Panthers game early in the year, which would have had the Pats as the home team - HUGE playoff implications and then the KC field goal - another HUGE playoff implications and then multiple missed calls in the Championship game - Super Bow implications. RG talks a big game but somehow an 18 game schedule, a team in London, Thursday night games (whic players despise) are all more worthy of attention than getting calls on the field correct.

[Slapstick]

that isn't a good thing... Seattle's DB's play great D. Ike used to play D like that before age caught up with him...

Seattle DBs play great D because they are allowed to put their hands on WRs constantly...

If that's the case, then just simply get rid of the 5 yard rule instead of not enforcing it...

[squidkid]

You have a straw man argument... what if the Steelers were 9-7 or say 10-6 and the same string of events happened... did they still not deserve to get into the playoff because the refs went brain dead on the KC field goal attempt? The record is immaterial as long as they would have been made eligible for the playoffs based upon the right call by the refs... The entry bar was set by all the other teams performance/records this year and the Steelers were denied because of why? Was it the refs with the wrong call? Hmmmm

what if, what if.
a easy fg was missed by the kicker not a ref. who's to say he would have made the closer one?
im sure the other 6 teams that were in playoff contention toward the end can pick a blown call by an official sometime during the year that they think cost them a win, thus putting them in the playoffs

[Slapstick]

what if, what if.
a easy fg was missed by the kicker not a ref. who's to say he would have made the closer one?
im sure the other 6 teams that were in playoff contention toward the end can pick a blown call by an official sometime during the year that they think cost them a win, thus putting them in the playoffs

1) Perhaps he would have missed the closer one, but he should have had the opportunity...

2) The tragic thing about the FG is that it wasn't even a subjective call, like a PI or the tuck rule...it was just straight up incompetence...I can find a way to live with a blown call, but a non-call when the infraction is so obvious just smacks of not knowing the rules, which, by definition, an official should...