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[ultracapper]

Front page of Yahoo reports NFL has discussions today about making PI a reviewable play. Belichick has for years supported making anything on the field reviewable. You get 2 reviews, use them on ANYTHING.

Of course, the infallibility of the officiating crew is now brought into question, but what person in their right mind doesn't believe they make mistakes.

NJS, the refs weren't perfect in the KC-NE game. I don't believe either team got the best or the worst of it. I feel pretty certain that the Chiefs didn't lose because of the way the game was officiated in general, or because of the two calls at the heart of our discussion in particular. My main gripe about the officiating in that game was the PI calls against the Pats on that one drive, not because I was pulling for the Pats, but because I thought they were ticky-tack calls. That's my whole viewpoint of the game. Pats outplayed them in the first half, Chiefs showed who they are in the 2nd half, and the Pats proved what's made them who they are in OT. I don't know of a call in that game that cost either team the opportunity to win as it ultimately played out.

As for the offside call, see it as you wish. The CBS angle was blocked, but unless the guy's arm has a severe inward bend to it, it was all that was necessary to come to a reasonable conclusion. Why CBS didn't show other angles makes me wonder. Not showing other angles would seem to be KC biased as it gives KC fans a window to holler out of. But again, the flag was thrown at the snap, long before any ref would have known how the play would play out.

You're right that the call on the field needs to be overturned with indisputable evidence. I guess they thought they had it. I don't think he touched it, from what I saw. Not because I wanted the Pats, but because what I saw over and over told me he didn't. He made a major mistake even addressing the ball in that situation, and got away with a bonehead play, only to let a pass go off his hands two plays later, and get picked off, leading to a KC TD. 54 game seconds after the Edelman "muff", KC scored a TD to put them in the lead 21-17. So, if the call was wrong, it's another example of the refs screwing up. However, not only did it not cost KC the game, it didn't even cost them any points. I understand no game is linear, that the game may have ended up different if that call would have gone the other way, but, "so it goes". There was still plenty of time, and a lead in hand, for the Chiefs to beat the Patriots after the Edelman punt "muff" and the KC TD a couple minutes in real time later.

As a matter of fact, at that time, I thought KC would assert themselves and put NE away. But even with the TD drive in which more yards were gained via penalty than anything the KC offense did, they couldn't do it. What it means to me, is there is no doubt in my mind that of the two KC is the better team, but they aren't quite ready for a New England Patriot team that just flat out knows how to get it done.

Edit: And I don't know if the Los Angeles Rams are ready for them either. There is little doubt in my mind that the Rams are the better team, in all 3 aspects of the game, but they are dealing with a different animal here. A different one than they've ever dealt with before. Ask the Atlanta Falcons. You better play 60 PLUS minutes of the best football of your life.