NFL 2014

[Tannhauser]

Hahaha so glorious. It's like the perfect picture to piss off 95% of this site.

So what's your opinion on the non-call?

I think the Detroit guy initiated the contact and then held his facemask. The pic Ozzu posted shows exactly why I think it's a no-call. You can faceguard in the NFL, but you can't run through a guy. Given the contact by Detroit, I think it's at worst offsetting penalties in that you have an illegal contact and an offense facemask or hands to the face. Maybe you get another play in that regard. Still, I think a no-call is the right call, and the official nearest to the play didn't throw a flag.

Also, that's not the back judge's call to make that far away from the play unless he sees a hand around the back, or a hold, or something the close official didn't see. There was none of that. People want to say there was contact and then completely ignore the Detroit players hand literally on the defender's facemask for a solid second before the play.

Forget the facemask.  Legal or not.  That wasn't the call, DPI was.  And was flagged.  And was announced, with even Troy Aikman calling it a DPI and then at the last second it was overturned? That is completely unprecedented.  Can you tell me that that sequence wasn't highly unusual to say the least?  You've got Bill Polian telling ESPN that the refs messed up and should have kept the call, even saying the Competition Committee should look into this in the off season for a possible rule change.

[Draegan]

You know Dallas fans, it's ok to just say you got a call. You really shouldn't be trying to be first in line to defend the call. The lions had plenty of time to win the game and they didn't. Just say you got lucky with the call and move on.

[Ozzu]

You know Dallas fans, it's ok to just say you got a call. You really shouldn't be trying to be first in line to defend the call. The lions had plenty of time to win the game and they didn't. Just say you got lucky with the call and move on.

That play had a waaaaay more obvious penalty. Hitchens had a fistful of Pettigrew's jersey off the line. It should have been holding, 5 yards, automatic first down. They just flat missed it.

Either way, as you said, the Lions had multiple shots after that to do something and just flat couldn't. There were still 9 friggin minutes in the game.

[Paelos]

You know Dallas fans, it's ok to just say you got a call. You really shouldn't be trying to be first in line to defend the call. The lions had plenty of time to win the game and they didn't. Just say you got lucky with the call and move on.

Oh we got a break on a judgement call. I don't think for a second think that it couldn't have just stood up as PI and laid there. However, they pick up PI flags all the time. They do it for various reasons, but the usual ones are:

- Ball was tipped at the line, can't be PI then.
- Runners got their feet tangled, not actual contact.
- Close official has better look than far official, overrules far official.
- Ball was uncatchable as deemed by close official.

That being said, I think the call could have gone either way. The refs got very involved late in this one, so I can see how people would think conspiracy or whatever. The NFL doesn't care who makes it. This isn't the NBA where there's a huge ratings disparity between matchups. The NFL has proven time and again their ratings dwarf everything no matter who is in the playoffs. All they want is for the games to be interesting and semi-close into the 4th quarter for the drama, because it sells more shit.

But an even bigger point, you know how many points the Lions had after the first quarter? Six. That's how the game was lost.

[Mithas]

The difference here is that they actually called it pass interference on the field and then reversed the call. Usually refs will huddle up together and decide if it was or wasn't a penalty before calling it on the field. It was just strange.

[HaemishM]

It was a weird turn of events, made even worse by the replay showing that the offensive player got away with a facemask no-call. I think they'd have been much better served to call offsetting penalties on the play and be done with. The strangest part about the PI call getting turned into a no-call was just HOW BADLY the NFL has called PI this year. I mean, it's every 3rd fucking play. And in the one spot where it probably should have been called at a crucial time in the game, very likely a game-changing call they not only call it, they then inexplicably pick up the flag and move on.

There's no conspiracy, it just makes the refs look inept.

[Raguel]

As a Cowboys fan I would have no problem with a defensive holding call, offsetting PI calls, and/or sideline infraction call, but it would be pure b.s. if only DPI would have been called.

In any event I'm glad it went the way it did. Despite what a lot of people have said on the internet I think there has been a lot of calls that took points away from the Cowboys this year (thankfully none of them determined the final score) so I kinda feel the 'boys were due one in their favor.

[Chimpy]

So the owner of the Rams says he is going to build a stadium in LA.


LA Rams return in 2016?

[WayAbvPar]

That would be nice for the Seahawks. One less 10AM road game to play every year.

As for the PI call- I just hope Seattle gets the same leeway. If they do, no one is completing any passes. That was a mugging and should have been interference.

[HaemishM]

You know good and damn well the Hawks will not get that call. EVER.

[Raguel]

hey if the WR pulls the defender's face mask first it's all good. 

https://vine.co/v/OdD5hWMBK2q

[Tannhauser]

That would be nice for the Seahawks. One less 10AM road game to play every year.

As for the PI call- I just hope Seattle gets the same leeway. If they do, no one is completing any passes. That was a mugging and should have been interference.

Agreed.  About as blatant as DPI gets.  But time I let this go and give a non-sarcastic 'grats' to the boys for a gritty come from behind win.

[Goumindong]

hey if the WR pulls the defender's face mask first it's all good.  

https://vine.co/v/OdD5hWMBK2q

It is then actually yea. Faceguarding is legal, so long as you don't grab and yank. If you hit and release it you're in the clear. You're confusing the NFL rules for the college rules, where that would have been a penalty.

"Hands to the face" as the vine creator says is a penalty where you push the opponents head. Which that wasn't either.

As a Cowboys fan I would have no problem with a defensive holding call, offsetting PI calls, and/or sideline infraction call, but it would be pure b.s. if only DPI would have been called.

In any event I'm glad it went the way it did. Despite what a lot of people have said on the internet I think there has been a lot of calls that took points away from the Cowboys this year (thankfully none of them determined the final score) so I kinda feel the 'boys were due one in their favor.

Sideline infarction calls are almost never enforced unless it hampers plays. There wasn't any OPI on that play, faceguarding is legal if you release immediately. You are not penalized in the NFL for touching a face mask, only for pushing/pulling a face mask

[Raguel]

It looked like a push and then a grab down to me, but that may be with my cowboys goggles on. 

[WayAbvPar]

NFL head of officials said the facemask was incidental contact and not flag-worthy.

[Paelos]

Solid start Patriots. 

[K9]

Apparently it's impossible to commit pass interference against Rob Gronkowski 

[Malakili]

Yeah, that was clearly PI.

But either way, the Ravens are outplaying the Pats right now.

[K9]

This game is oddly hot and cold right now, mostly on defense. Although Flacco is playing at a level that matches his salary, I'll give him credit for that.

[K9]

OK, so that was pretty awesome

[Malakili]

Pretty good game overall.  It feels like the calls are favoring the Ravens a little, but it isn't blatantly unfair, just breaking that way.

[K9]

7 DBs = Quarter?

Also, this is possibly the best game I have watched all season

[Malakili]

Yeah, great game. 

[sickrubik]

Do. Not. Want. To. Go. To. Foxborough.

 

[K9]

If the pats can fix their defence yo-yoing between being like adamantium and tissue paper, they'll absolutely crush people. They also need to look into their run game, but admittedly, losing their starting centre early on was always going to hurt that, but not 14y of total rushing offense bad (and some of that came from QB sneaks). Coming back from two 14 point defecits to win is a real testament to the resilience and talent on this team, other teams would lose heart, but these guys kept going. I thought Amendola really stepped up, and Vereen, Gronk, and Edelman all looked top-notch as usual.

Credit to the Ravens though, they played well above their expected pay grade, they did not look like a 6th seed out there, and they performed on both sides of the ball. In the end Tom Brady was able to pick on less-experienced or talented parts of their secondary to take them apart though.

Lastly, while there were some suspect calls and no-calls, this didn't feel like a game that was decided on the back of a refereeing decision, which was pretty welcome. This was just two eveny-matched and nicely symmetrical teams duking it out for 60 minutes.

edit: Flacco completed passes to 10 different receivers, which seems like a lot.

[Shannow]

Great game. Brady's last TD throw to Lafell....

Is it just me or does Flacco look like all he does is just drop back and throw it literally up for someone to catch or draw PI on?

[WayAbvPar]

Kam Chancellor might not be human. Jesus Christ.

[Chimpy]

Kam Chancellor might not be human. Jesus Christ.

This. 

[Malakili]

John Harbaugh complaining about the Patriots players reporting ineligible in atyptical ways after the game makes me laugh.  Tom Brady's response was better "maybe those guys gotta study the rulebook." 

[HaemishM]

I wonder if Belichek is giving the Pats defense entire quarters off to keep them fresh or something. I swear they spent like 2 separate quarters of that game just lounging around. Same went for the Pats O line. All it took was Bad Joe Flacco to resurface at just the wrong moment and the Pats win. To give him credit, he did actually play about 45 minutes at $120 million level. Too bad the game is 60 minutes long. And yes, that last TD pass from Brady was just fucking unreal.

The Seahawks look like the team to beat, IMO. Granted, the Panthers really weren't that good and certainly didn't deserve to be there. At least they were able to stop the Seahawks running game for the most part but they couldn't score. I really didn't want the Packers to have to go to Seattle.

[Rasix]

Joe Flacco's deal with Satan finally expired.  Yay.

[Paelos]

The Seahawks look like the team to beat, IMO. Granted, the Panthers really weren't that good and certainly didn't deserve to be there. At least they were able to stop the Seahawks running game for the most part but they couldn't score. I really didn't want the Packers to have to go to Seattle.

See I thought the opposite. I thought Seattle looked very beatable until the 4th quarter when Carolina shit the bed. It was a 4-7 point game for most of that contest.

Carolina was great on 3rd downs. The Seattle defense didn't stop them like you would think, and Carolina's offense is painfully average at best. I think a great offensive team like GB or Dallas will give them issues.

Also Seattle should have blown Carolina away. They were getting short fields, making drives, and stalling out badly in FG range or just outside. It never should have been that close.

[Chimpy]

The Seahawks look like the team to beat, IMO. Granted, the Panthers really weren't that good and certainly didn't deserve to be there. At least they were able to stop the Seahawks running game for the most part but they couldn't score. I really didn't want the Packers to have to go to Seattle.

While I agree that Seattle looks nearly unbeatable at this point, I think you are wrong about Carolina's deserving to be there.

Their defense is very good and their offensive line did an amazing job. They also ran the ball better than you would expect anyone to do against the Seahawks. Cam Newton's inconsistent throws and the inability of his receivers to pull down the passes that were good throws is what hurt them.

Carolina was the lesser team in this game, that is certain. I am not any more of a fan of teams with losing records making the playoffs (and it proves that the NFL's reported plan to expand them next year is ridiculous) but Carolina is a much better team than their record indicates.

Also, Kam Chancellor is super-human.

[Cyrrex]

Panthers always give Seattle a good game...they have a similar DNA.  Anyway, not a bad effort by Carolina, but Seattle's pattern over the past many weeks has been to pull away at the end like that.  For the record (hah), I think the Panthers were better than their record.  They might be a decent receiver away being solid again.

Green Bay looks to be in trouble.  Rodgers does not look right in that pistol formation, and it looks like the Cowboys have remembered they have to also play the run after Lacy went off in the first series.

[Chimpy]

After two "reviewed" plays over the last two days that one was called correctly and one not (this is me admitting the Packers got lucky and I am a Packers fan) can we go back to the clear rules of the old days where if the ball touches the ground it is incomplete?

These stupid splitting hairs "football move/control" rules are fuck stupid.

While we are at it can we bring back intentional grounding and say fuck you to the stupid "outside the tackle box gives you free rein to just chuck it out of bounds" shit too?