NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Looking at that play again, I don't believe that ball was tipped.

 

I’m not sure it was either. I wouldn’t have called PI on it even if it wasn’t though.

 

That's just too bad for the Saints. Ashamed to see a game go this way. Controversy always gets in the mix.

 

Officials decided the game...not a fan of that, but congrats to the Rams staying in the game all day. That fake punt in the 1st half woke them up and they were able to take advantage of bad officiating. The NFL is probably very excited to have LA in the Super Bowl. Cue up the NFL is fixed talk around the league lol

 

i agree. i don't agree with no true champion.

 

I think it was a really good game right up until the refs blew the call with the no PI to close it out (in regulation).

That was without question the worst non-call I have seen this season.

Hats off to the Rams for hanging in there and keeping it close enough to pull it out in the end but it's the kind of game that you shake your head at thinking on.

 

Maybe not, but watching it live it sure did so that call is much easier to accept than that one at the end of regulation

 

It's a tough one to call but the defender wrapped his arms around the receiver and refused to let him turn before releasing him to go make a play.

Thomas should have played it through the whistle but I believe it was obvious enough that you go with the holding version of PI.

 

I think it’s consistent with how consistently inconsistent NFL officials are. I’ve never held them in high regard but this season was downright awful from start to finish in terms of officiating.

That non call is a lot closer at full speed than it was in slo-mo....but still a blatantly bad non call that all Saints fans will be talking about all offseason.

I hate seeing big games tarnished by these things.

 

I don't even know if it was tipped but I wouldn't call that PI. If anything it's OPI. He stood his ground when ball was coming that way and he got pushed by WR trying to make a move for the ball downfield (in the wrong place).

 

When I see Johnson wrap his arms around the receiver to keep him from turning around it looks like an obvious holding PI.

 

I get it but based on the trajectory of the ball and seeing the defender run through the QB with his hands up...in live action that looked like a tipped ball.

 

Let’s not forget the missed face mask at the 2 yd line on Goff

 

Looking at it again I’d say the defender is really just standing his ground more so than impeding the receiver.

 

There were a few missed face mask calls on both teams.

 

Possibly, but it wasn't too obvious. When the WR makes that push move and the defender happens to fall where the ball will land, well that just shows there was OPI after anyways (yes I know refs would pick up an OPI flag if it was caused due to a hold by the D).

 

My first thought on it was the same as when I watched the replay. The defender drove his arms into the throwing motion of Brees and he wasn't able to follow through with the throw.

It's all in how you perceive it in the moment so I won't knock anyone that had a different version before the replay.

 

Notice how the replays they kept showing of that terrible non-PI were always that low down sideline angle? That was the least obvious angle to highlight just what a bad call that was. Im sure less trusting minds would have theories on that.....

Stop pissing around NFL, just get on with it and start making penalties/non-calls reviewable. Don't worry about preserving the credibility of the officials, trust me, they don't have any. Its only a matter of when. Penalties will start being reviewed one day. Its inevitable.

 

But then you're calling OPI on a receiver for forcibly separating himself from the defender that was holding him, something that he wouldn't have done if he wasn't being wrapped up in the first place.

Not looking for a drawn out, courtroom style of debate over it. Just giving my opinion on it.

 

The only season I can remember being marred by even worse officiating than this was the 1998 season. That was the year the refs even screwed up the coin toss. So many games were decided by bad calls that year that the league finally decided to bring back replay.

As for this one, I'm glad it went to overtime so that it wasn't 100% decided by the bad call. Even as a division rival, I found myself rooting for the field goal to end regulation rather than the touchdown so that they could slug it out in OT.