2015 NFL Week 4

[ISiddiqui]

I just wonder what the defender was thinking? There was no one around him, so why not try to 'recover' the ball and if you are 'clumsy' in doing so and it goes out of bounds, well... oops, instead of the obvious bat.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I just wonder what the defender was thinking? There was no one around him, so why not try to 'recover' the ball and if you are 'clumsy' in doing so and it goes out of bounds, well... oops, instead of the obvious bat.

I assume you that if you don't know the rule, which a lot of people didn't (players included), the quick reaction is along the lines of "don't be a hero" stuff we see elsewhere...go down immediately after the game-saving INT so you won't get stripped on a return, stay in bounds instead of fighting for extra yards and possibly stopping the clock, fall on a fumble instead of trying for a scoop and score, etc. If there is no rule for illegal batting, knocking it away would be the safest play when you're that close to the end line.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Logan

I assume you that if you don't know the rule, which a lot of people didn't (players included), the quick reaction is along the lines of "don't be a hero" stuff we see elsewhere...go down immediately after the game-saving INT so you won't get stripped on a return, stay in bounds instead of fighting for extra yards and possibly stopping the clock, fall on a fumble instead of trying for a scoop and score, etc. If there is no rule for illegal batting, knocking it away would be the safest play when you're that close to the end line.

But how in the world do players NOT know the rule? I mean, it's not like it's never been called. I know it -- as I mentioned I see it in high school pretty much every year for several decades -- and it's not my livelihood involved.

Pro-football-reference.com shows it called
3x in 2010, 1x in 2011, 1x in 2012, 2x in 2013, 0x in 2014.

I assumed that the reason it wasn't as frequent at the NFL level was because everybody knew the rule. Silly me.

[Logan]

Well, a prominent starting QB didn't know that games could end in a tie a few years back. I doubt he was alone.

[cmp]

Players not knowing games could end in ties has always baffled me.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by cmp

Players not knowing games could end in ties has always baffled me.

Or a coach who would rather have the wind than the ball...

[BishopMVP]

I'll admit I didn't remember there was a rule against it (and I almost certainly watched the Dolphins/Patriots game it was called in). I guess the only similar plays I can remember involve punters batting or kicking the ball out of the end zone, where I assume they were called for a penalty but it just didn't matter because the result (Safety) was the same either way.

Ever since the Patriots 2005 playoff loss to the Broncos I've thought it a little weird that offensive fumbles OOB near the goal line can be such a huge swing. 6 inches on a bounce can be the difference between 1st & goal at the 1 instead of the other team's ball on the 20.

[Dr. Sak]

Given the direction of the bat...had it occurred in the field of play (goal line to goal line) it would have been legal. It is legal to bat the ball towards your own goal line, but you can't bat the ball in any direction in the end zone.

[BillJasper]

Seems like Philbin had completely lost the team and part of it seems like he was babying Tannehill...

Joe Philbin’s last practice showed he had lost control | ProFootballTalk

Glad Philbin is gone. I'd almost add a year to Campbell's deal and drop the interim tag, so no one gets the idea that they can coast the rest of this year. They could still just fire him in the offseason and go in a different direction if it doesn't work out.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Seems like Philbin had completely lost the team and part of it seems like he was babying Tannehill...

Joe Philbin’s last practice showed he had lost control | ProFootballTalk

Glad Philbin is gone. I'd almost add a year to Campbell's deal and drop the interim tag, so no one gets the idea that they can coast the rest of this year. They could still just fire him in the offseason and go in a different direction if it doesn't work out.

I would argue that Philbin lost the team during the Jonathan Martin & Richie Incognito incident. The players were running the show in Miami until yesterday.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I just wonder what the defender was thinking? There was no one around him, so why not try to 'recover' the ball and if you are 'clumsy' in doing so and it goes out of bounds, well... oops, instead of the obvious bat.

Berman: What do you do, Tom?
Jackson: BAT IT DOWN!

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I mentioned I see it in high school pretty much every year for several decades

These guys haven't been around for several decades and I'm guessing they haven't watched all that many games that they weren't participating in. I know I didn't learn this when I was playing, and I didn't think anything of the bat real-time, other than "hmm, smart play." If I think more about it I guess I can envision times when punts have gone wrong or a QB shoves the ball out - in which case it's just a safety either way (and better than a possible defensive TD) - but didn't really think of it in terms of the defense doing it.

[Solecismic]

I'm waiting for Goodell to suspend Brady over the allegations that he illegally paid practice squad players when they intercepted a pass. That should be worth at least six weeks and a first-round pick.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I must be a rules nerd, because I knew that was a "bat" as soon as I saw it.

Shame for Detroit, but that was a very Lions way to lose.

I feel a kinship with you Lions fans, I felt pretty bad that they lost like that.

You should have been the back judge, Butterman!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill admits ripping scout squad, denies belittling teammate's paycheck

So he admits saying something, just not the paycheck line.

""To put words into my mouth that I didn't say, to degrade my reputation and what I stand for -- honestly it's sickening to me,""

And now he knows how Dolphins fans feel about watching him regress to basically his rookie season numbers.

[Thomkal]

Well if St. Louis gets a new stadium, at least they have a sponsor for it now...

Proposed NFL stadium in St. Louis secures naming rights deal

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Well if St. Louis gets a new stadium, at least they have a sponsor for it now...

Proposed NFL stadium in St. Louis secures naming rights deal

Proposed Rams Stadium Would Cost Taxpayers A Hell Of A Lot More Than Promised

While still paying $6 mil a year on the Edward Jones Dome.

[BillJasper]

I have a feeling this will end with the Rams staying in St. Louis, the Chargers in LA and Kroenke kicking in money towards the Rams stadium. I see the Spanos' family ending up owning the Rams and Kroenke the Chargers.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill admits ripping scout squad, denies belittling teammate's paycheck

So he admits saying something, just not the paycheck line.

""To put words into my mouth that I didn't say, to degrade my reputation and what I stand for -- honestly it's sickening to me,""

And now he knows how Dolphins fans feel about watching him regress to basically his rookie season numbers.

What the Hell was Philbin doing down there? Was he literally just collecting a paycheck until they figured out he was in way over his head?

[stevew]

Jeff Fisher is the real beneficiary of the conflict as nobody has time to notice what a poor to mediocre coach he is