NFL Week 11

[DaddyTorgo]

Hmm - I don't see the Pats finding a way to stop Newton when it counts.

They just don't have the playmakers on defense due to all the injuries.

[Radii]

[bulletsponge]

am i the only one noticing that many of cam newtons passes are high?

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

Um, Troy...

Broncos Being Investigated

Why does that setoff my virus alerts?

[JonInMiddleGA]

REPORT: Former Falcons LB Thomas Howard died in horrific crash... | Atlanta Falcons | www.ajc.com

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

REPORT: Former Falcons LB Thomas Howard died in horrific crash... | Atlanta Falcons | www.ajc.com

That is one really, really bad crash. Those cars are destroyed.

[DaddyTorgo]

Stupid playcall on 3rd and 1.

At least stupid if you're going to go for it on 4th down.

[DaddyTorgo]

All 3 of the top corners are out...what are we down to...street fucking FA's playing CB. This is brutal.

That being said - they should have gone for it and punched in a TD in the Red Zone on the last drive - if they lose because they didn't they have no one to blame but that decision.

[DaddyTorgo]

Suck. Ass.

[Desnudo]

Kyle Arrington - check. Touchdown - check.

[Radii]

I am absolutely terrified of Tom Brady in this final minute.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

All 3 of the top corners are out...what are we down to...street fucking FA's playing CB. This is brutal.

That being said - they should have gone for it and punched in a TD in the Red Zone on the last drive - if they lose because they didn't they have no one to blame but that decision.

This.

Horrible, lack of confidence playcall on that 3rd and 1 to throw it when your running game was owning Carolina. Very well could be argued it cost them the game.

[bhlloy]

Did you just agree with yourself there?

[Radii]

What an obvious and unnecessary penalty, dear god.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Did you just agree with yourself there?

Yes. Reiterating for effect.

[DaddyTorgo]

Flag in the endzone.

[DaddyTorgo]

Yep. Defensive PI.

What???

Tom: "That is fucking bull!"

[SirFozzie]

Bullshit call.

[EagleFan]

Good non call, the receiver was not making that play.

[Radii]

Luke just wanted to give Gronk a hug, that's all (that was a PI)

[Glengoyne]

Wow I can't believe they picked that one up

[Galaril]

[Radii]

Either way, that was a great game, wow.

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Good non call, the receiver was not making that play.

Mostly because the Defender was pushing him 10 yards back :/

Eh. Good win Carolina fans.. we need a magic sponge for our secondary apparently :/

[jbergey22]

I think its BS they picked up the flag. But I have no idea why they threw the flag in the first place. That little contact in the back of the end zone had no impact on the under thrown interception.

On second glance yes that was clearly interference. From the original angle it looked more like Gronk created much of the contact.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Good non call, the receiver was not making that play.

Pretty tough ruling. They threw the flag, then call it in catchable when the receiver was pushed up field.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

I think its BS they picked up the flag. But I have no idea why they threw the flag in the first place. That little contact in the back of the end zone had no impact on the under thrown interception.

First contact at the 1


Edit ok just inside the goal line

Real officials and a worse call than the sea hawks simultaneous reception

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Mostly because the Defender was pushing him 10 yards back :/

Do you overestimate that way when talking to your wife/significant other... honest, that's 12 inches

[cuervo72]

Even w/o the defender there, Gronk wasn't getting back to that ball; the contact was incidental to the play (happening five yards behind a simultaneous pick). If the pass was higher -- absolutely PI.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

First contact at the 1

Yeah I just watched a different angle and it was pretty obvious.

[EagleFan]

Now for my question, I don't really get the play just before the last play. At that point about 5 yards makes no difference and if something happens that keeps the receiver from getting out of bounds the game is over.

[EagleFan]

lol, captain hoodie is in whine mode.

[Arles]

Weird ending - it was odd that the flag was thrown as usually just about anything goes for final endzone plays as time expires. Yet, it was even more odd that they picked the flag up. Kind of a clusterf*ck ending.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Now for my question, I don't really get the play just before the last play. At that point about 5 yards makes no difference and if something happens that keeps the receiver from getting out of bounds the game is over.

Well that 5 yards makes the window a little bit larger to fit that throw in that they attempted at the end. I guess if they did a fade route or something like that it wouldnt have made sense.

[EagleFan]

The 5 yards actually makes for a smaller window. The less ground defenders need to cover the smaller the window.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

First contact at the 1


Edit ok just inside the goal line

Nah - have it freeze-framed, and both Gronk and the LB put their hands up (almost looks like they are dancing) about two-three yards into the end zone. LB has his hand on Gronk's right shoulder a few steps later, DB starting to play back to the ball. It takes Gronk a couple more steps to stop his momentum to work back to the ball...and yeah, LB is hugging him at this point.

I think if Gronk could have shifted his momentum sooner, or if he flattened his route just a *little* bit, the flag stays. But how his momentum was carrying him, I don't think he gets that ball even if no defender is there.

ah - edit caught me mid-post (all that frame advancing takes time)

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

The 5 yards actually makes for a smaller window. The less ground defenders need to cover the smaller the window.

Well the reaction of the defenders wont be as quick because Tom can get more velocity on a ball from under 20 yards than he can from 25+ making for a larger window to complete the pass.

[SirFozzie]

Ok, last post on this, because we could argue all night:

Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 1m
My thoughts..Since the flag was thrown they should have stayed with the call. There was clear contact before the ball was intercepted. Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 7s
You could make a case that the pass might have been uncatachable, but the flag was thrown and you should stay with it.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Ok, last post on this, because we could argue all night:

Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 1m
My thoughts..Since the flag was thrown they should have stayed with the call. There was clear contact before the ball was intercepted. Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 7s
You could make a case that the pass might have been uncatachable, but the flag was thrown and you should stay with it.

Therefore every flag that is ever thrown must always remain a penalty? We'll remember that.

[jbergey22]

I bet they dont pick up that flag if the game if in Foxborough.

[BishopMVP]

I'm actually surprised the earlier holding call on McCourty wasn't mentioned here. I can see how the officials missed it, but Olson blatantly hooked his arm and exaggerated the contact, and that's the reason Carolina was ahead instead of forced to kick the tying FG with 2 minutes left.

On the last play I think it was at least defensive holding if not PI under the earlier standard. Either way, once that flag is thrown I don't understand how the officials wave it off without an explanation.

[Jas_lov]

There was a call earlier in the game where they called defensive holding on Carolina when it was on the completely opposite side of the field from where Brady threw it. Why is that called but not that last play? The player on the opposite side of the field never could have caught the ball because it wasn't thrown in his direction. If they want to rule that last play is not PI because it's not catchable, fine, but it should have been holding and one final play for the Patriots.

[jeff061]

Because holding and interference aren't the same thing.

[Jas_lov]

That's why I said holding should have been called, not PI, just as it was on that other play.

[bhlloy]

That's as big a choke job as you'll ever see from a group of officials. Even if you don't rule PI, how you can just wave it off without calling it holding is ridiculous. As they were huddling you could tell they were looking for a way to get out of there without the crowd turning really ugly.

And really it bailed out a boneheaded move by the best young defensive player in football. Even on a hail mary I've never seen someone tackled out of the back of the end zone so obviously. Hey, he got away with it. But those refs should be suspended.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

I bet they dont pick up that flag if the game if in Foxborough.

No way to prove it but I'd bet my house and car on that. Home cooking at it's best.

[SnowMan]

So that's not PI because the ball was uncatchable, but the one on Richard Sherman that sailed 15+ yards past the receiver was PI because it was catchable...gotcha. Stupid inconsistent officiating.

[PilotMan]

I was under the impression that it was ruled that way because it was picked. If the ball isn't picked and is incomplete it's PI. That's at least what was explained last night, but I really don't know about it.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Why wasn't it defensive holding?

[Logan]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I was under the impression that it was ruled that way because it was picked. If the ball isn't picked and is incomplete it's PI. That's at least what was explained last night, but I really don't know about it.

That explanation was by former official Gerry Austin, who Tirico and Gruden had in the booth after the game (I wasn't watching but saw it replayed on ESPN this morning). I've seen Austin give explanations a few times this year, and each time he seems out of his mind. He said "if the ball is tipped or intercepted, it's not PI". I know the "tipping" part only matters if the contact occurs after the ball is deflected, and I've never the INT part called before, unless he was trying to say if the contact occurred afterwards there too (which would be very obvious).

edit: Speaking of Austin, scrolling back through my Twitter timeline:

Peter King ‏@SI_PeterKing 8h
5. Gerry Austin is delusional.

Jimmy Traina ‏@JimmyTraina 8h
No exaggeration: I can't remember the last time I saw someone on TV more lost than Gerry Austin. This is borderline sad.