The Zebras

[Jeff P]

Imo, the calls are bad enough that maybe a rules change is in order.

What if a head coach had the same number of challenges he currently has? But had the ability to challenge an obvious bad call or an obvious non call?

In the Chiefs-Patriots game there was a play where the ref on the field had a bad angle and called roughing the passer against the Chiefs because he thought a KC defender struck Brady in the head. But the replay showed the defender hit Brady in the shoulder instead of the head.

I'm guessing that call would have been overturned had it been reviewable.

I'm also guessing the non call for pass interference in the Saints-Rams game gets overturned had it been reviewable as well.

I realize this would slow the game down a bit.

But on the plus side I think they'd get a higher percentage of the calls right.



-jp

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[ultracapper]

This whole attitude, in every professional sport in this country, that the refs are above criticism, is counter-productive. They blow way too many important plays, with nothing but a "sorry, we missed that one" as the only remedy. They could take away everything that entire refereeing crew ever had in their lives, and it won't do the New Orleans Saints one bit of good. Their whole season, months of pre-season preparation, hours upon hours of late night meetings and other preparations, hours and hours of practices and injuries and anything else you can think of, out the window because of a situation that they were 100% entirely in the right about, and they were absolutely helpless to do anything about it.

There was a play in which Belichick was trying to get the linesman to look at a notepad. I can't remember what the play was, but he had the notepad in his hand, and he was trying to shove it under the ref's nose, and the ref would have none of it. It's frustrating as hell to see it plainly with your own eyes, and you have 9 guys out there who's only job is to keep their eyes on this stuff, and they miss the one's that everybody can see. They have to get those right. That PI in New Orleans has got to be called, one way or another.

[Mailman]

Ultracapper
The play in question was a pick play with 3 receivers on the left side, Belichick tried to show him the play on his tablet. Soon after he turned and smashed the tablet into the ground. If i recall he smashed one last year also.

[woodbinepmi]

Coach Belichick has NO room to talk about running pick plays, his offense is predicated on them.

[ultracapper]

Originally Posted by Mailman

Ultracapper
The play in question was a pick play with 3 receivers on the left side, Belichick tried to show him the play on his tablet. Soon after he turned and smashed the tablet into the ground. If i recall he smashed one last year also.

Thank you. I knew it happened. Was that the play Watkins brought it inside the 5 yard line? I think it was.

[Man o' War]

Crybabies!!! If the Saints played better or are better than the Rams, they wouldn’t have been in that position of letting an incompetent referee decide the game for them. Funny how no one here mention’s the non-call facemask on Goff at the goal line on the prior possession by the Rams forcing them to only kick a tying field goal. The Rams had more passing yards, more rushing yards, higher number of yards per play and 1 more sack than the Saints. After the 1st qtr, the Saints scored a total of 10 points the next 3 qtrs…the #6 rushing offense in the league had a total of 48 yards in the game. Bottom line is the Ram defense slowed down Brees and the Saints. And Goff played well in the clutch. The Rams deserve to be in the Superbowl and the “different animals” Brady and Belichick (as a poster here described them) will lose their 4th out of the last 6 Superbowls they will have played in come Superbowl Sunday...

[judd]

Originally Posted by Man o' War

Crybabies!!! If the Saints played better or are better than the Rams, they wouldn’t have been in that position of letting an incompetent referee decide the game for them. Funny how no one here mention’s the non-call facemask on Goff at the goal line on the prior possession by the Rams forcing them to only kick a tying field goal. The Rams had more passing yards, more rushing yards, higher number of yards per play and 1 more sack than the Saints. After the 1st qtr, the Saints scored a total of 10 points the next 3 qtrs…the #6 rushing offense in the league had a total of 48 yards in the game. Bottom line is the Ram defense slowed down Brees and the Saints. And Goff played well in the clutch. The Rams deserve to be in the Superbowl and the “different animals” Brady and Belichick (as a poster here described them) will lose their 4th out of the last 6 Superbowls they will have played in come Superbowl Sunday...

[Tom]

Missing a face mask call is hardly on the same level of obvious as the tractor-trailer hit on the receiver.

I hate the Patriots, but I will be rooting against the Rams 100%.
Mostly because they cheated to get there, but also because they are cheap bastards trying to sell two set of totally different uniforms.

And I would love to see some blatant hits on them as well.

[Cuffdaddy]

Originally Posted by Tom

Missing a face mask call is hardly on the same level of obvious as the tractor-trailer hit on the receiver.

I hate the Patriots, but I will be rooting against the Rams 100%.
Mostly because they cheated to get there, but also because they are cheap bastards trying to sell two set of totally different uniforms.

And I would love to see some blatant hits on them as well.

You must be joking stating the Rams "cheated" to win the game. The Rams have zero to do with any calls made. Truth is ,if you watched closely the refs blew many calls in favor of the Saints as well. Focusing on the PI alone is a very weak stance as the sole reason the Saints lost . Payton's play calls and clock management had as much to do with the loss as anything.

Steelers fan here and I did not cry when they took a TD away last year against the Patriots on a clear catch that was ruled incomplete. Have enough sports sense to see Tomlin and Steelers offense blew many opportunities much like the Saints that made one play stand out that should not have.

The entire game must be taken into account as it all matters and plays a role in the outcome.

[thaskalos]

The Rams' sort of "cheating" fades when compared to the cheating that the Patriots have been blamed for, on one or two past occasions. No? I think, at the end of it...I will be rooting for the Rams.

[MutuelClerk]

Before replay we accepted the human error factor with referees. Of course calls were missed which has led us to the cluster@#$% we have now. With replay people expect perfection. With the rules of replay the way they are set up you will never have perfection because some obvious fouls you can't throw your little red hanky.

Seems to me things are way worse now. We still can't even define a catch. Games take longer. Refs are too old. Protected. I'm pretty much ready to dump replay and return to how it used to be. Instead after last weeks terrible performance the league will change the replay rules and let coaches pretty much toss the red hanky on anything that looks like a violation. Roger Goodell makes all this money and the game keeps getting worse. Only in the corporate world can this happen. Next year games will take four hours. Starting times will be 1pm EST and 430-5pm est because of replay. You can't watch a game without falling asleep. Four hour game and about 12 mins of actual action. Thank god for Red Zone. Please leave that alone.....

[Cuffdaddy]

Originally Posted by MutuelClerk

Before replay we accepted the human error factor with referees. Of course calls were missed which has led us to the cluster@#$% we have now. With replay people expect perfection. With the rules of replay the way they are set up you will never have perfection because some obvious fouls you can't throw your little red hanky.

Seems to me things are way worse now. We still can't even define a catch. Games take longer. Refs are too old. Protected. I'm pretty much ready to dump replay and return to how it used to be. Instead after last weeks terrible performance the league will change the replay rules and let coaches pretty much toss the red hanky on anything that looks like a violation. Roger Goodell makes all this money and the game keeps getting worse. Only in the corporate world can this happen. Next year games will take four hours. Starting times will be 1pm EST and 430-5pm est because of replay. You can't watch a game without falling asleep. Four hour game and about 12 mins of actual action. Thank god for Red Zone. Please leave that alone.....

I heard something interesting today regarding making any and all plays challengable in relation to the length of games.
The amount of challenges allowed would remain the same but Peter King, a very respected NFL guru, feels that coaches would be more apt to save a challenge for the end of game situations resulting in less challenges overall.

[headhawg]

My thoughts exactly MutuelClerk. The game is not better with replay, challenges, or the wussification of football. If anyone thinks that more rules, challenges, or replays will help you are completely mistaken.

[ultracapper]

Originally Posted by Cuffdaddy

I heard something interesting today regarding making any and all plays challengable in relation to the length of games.
The amount of challenges allowed would remain the same but Peter King, a very respected NFL guru, feels that coaches would be more apt to save a challenge for the end of game situations resulting in less challenges overall.

Right now they take the hanky out of the coach's hand the last 2 minutes of each half. So either they allow the coach to utilize his challenges during that period, or they quickly review each and every play up in the booth and hope that they can do most of them without sending a signal down to the ref to hold up play. That may be how they handle the last 2 minutes anyhow right now.

It's so damn ridiculous that the obvious ones can't be 100% caught anyway. Of all the calls this past weekend, the PI in N.O. stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Others may have effected the game to one degree or another, just as the PI did, but, even more than the effect it had on the game is.....IT WAS SO DAMN OBVIOUS. ONE OF THOSE GUYS OUT THERE HAD TO JIMMY UP AND THROW THE DAMN FLAG.

I bet at least 4 or 5 of those refs actually saw it in real time, but figured it's the back judge's call, and if he isn't going to make it, I'm not stepping on his toes. That's all I can figure. "IT WASN'T MY CALL". If you're a ref and you see it, it's your call.

[MutuelClerk]

Originally Posted by Cuffdaddy

I heard something interesting today regarding making any and all plays challengable in relation to the length of games.
The amount of challenges allowed would remain the same but Peter King, a very respected NFL guru, feels that coaches would be more apt to save a challenge for the end of game situations resulting in less challenges overall.

Isn't that even worse? A TD pass might be thrown late in the game and the team scored on will say the right guard was holding? You can call holding on any play I've always heard. This will make a game that already looks shady as wrestling become really under the gun. Especially with sports betting about to blossom in every state. I see the NFL being at it's peak right now and going downhill fast. I'm sure Goodell will get a raise just like our congress gets paid and the hourly workers don't. If fantasy football never existed the NFL would really suffer in popularity.