NFL - Random Opinions

I think the ref said postgame that there were indeed two flags - one for ineligible receiver (catching the ball, not just downfield) and the other for illegal formation.

 

It definitely did, but the Eagles would still control their destiny if the Lions scored.

 

It was only illegal formation because the guy that lined up "reported as eligible" but he was in a lineman position (because he didn't report).

 

On the field, yes, only one was called. After the game, when the reporters' pool asked, Brad Allen "explained" that there were actually two penalties. So Allen is already calling himself a bad ref for not calling/explaining the other foul on the field that he told reporters about after the game. Or maybe he's a slightly better ref because the second foul was also incorrect, so on the field he and his crew only fucked the play up once instead of twice? Or worse because with more time to let it sink in, he decided that he really should have fucked up two calls on the same play rather than just one? Somewhere out there, Jeff Triplette is happy to be retired.


Flip side... right at the two minute warning, the Cowboys had a personal foul call for tripping that set back the drive and had them start with 1st and 25. We never got a replay or any details of the penalty other than a view of the flagged player (Hendershot) with a WTF reaction as he got to the sideline. Instead, right after the commercial break we got BSPN's teaser with Scott Van Pelt telling us how great Sportscenter will be right after the game. And then back to the action, with BSPN not saying a thing about it.

But if you rewind and look at the play again, it's a total clusterfuck of a bad call. Hendershot didn't trip anybody. There wasn't anybody around him for him to trip, other than the guy he was actively blocking (who didn't trip). If there was a tripping call, it should have been on the Lions (Hutchenson?) as the ball carrier went around the end. Without the phantom call on Hendershot, it's 2nd and 3 at the 22. If the call was made against Detroit, it would have been 1st and 10 at the 11. Instead, it's 25 yards to go for a first down, which Dallas can't make. Field goal, still a one possession game with time on the clock, and we get Goff's final drive as Dan Quinn suddenly goes full prevent defense.


So ref Brad Allen and his crew made a totally bogus personal foul call near the end of the game that screwed one team and then flipped back to screw the other team on an even bigger fuck-up that everyone will be talking about all week. Why does this seem oh-so-familiar...

 

Not sure if I said it wrong or not but if the refs didn't mess up the eligibility call then there would be no illegal formation.

 

On one of the channels they broke down the formation and showed that the guy the refs said was eligible could not have been eligible because he was covered on the end. Then they showed the other lineman who was supposed to be eligible and explained why he was the only lineman who could be eligible.


Apparently the crew has been demoted and most of them will not work the post season. They also called a tripping play on the wrong team earlier in the game. They were also the crew that did the chiefs game where MVS was mugged at the end of the game with no flag vs the packers.

 

Instead of reporting just have eligible linemen put in the red mesh stretchy shirt they put in QBs in practice of course for teams with red jerseys use white or.yellow then the refs.arent involved at all.

 

Exactly, and this is what the ref was saying to the reporters after the game. His explanation then was that there were two penalties on two different players - which would have been true if the Lions had totally messed up and had the wrong guy report eligible. But everything we're now hearing - and seeing - says the ref simply fucked up... again. And if he's saying after the game that there were penalties by two players, shouldn't he have explained it the same way on the field?

We've heard that a lot of the crew has been demoted, but we've heard nothing so far about referee Brad Allen himself.



I mentioned the tripping play just above. It was a HUGE deal, as it killed the Dallas possession right before the final Detroit scoring drive. ESPN effed up during the broadcast by never showing a replay of that one at all. It was right at the two minute warning, and of course it's FAR more important for them to spend their available time coming back from the commercial break by cutting away to Scott Van Pelt telling us how they'll be talking about the game on SportsCenter right after the end of the game. Gee, thanks. We NEVER would have guessed there would be a postgame show ANYWHERE on the ABC/ESPN conglomerate.

If you look at the play, it's obvious that the Dallas player who was flagged (Hendershot) didn't trip anybody. That alone should have been enough for the production truck to go back and look for other angles - which we'll probably never see because the Worldwide Leader In Nonsense didn't bother.

 

From what Im hearing the Steelers are actually 4 point favs in Baltimore, so clearly the gambling world is betting on Lamar Jackson ridding the pine.

The Steelers’ clearest path to the playoffs is to beat the Ravens on Saturday, and then have either the Jaguars or Bills lose on Sunday. This is exciting, but still raises the question on gambling. Do the bettors know more than the rest of us? Do they get inside information before the public? Apparently, Harbaugh hasnt decided yet if Lamar is playing or not, so how does the gambling world come up with this stuff? Im seeing potential trouble on the horizon.

 

I don't know if I agree with your take, Willie. It looks to me like Vegas is taking a pragmatic approach. Win or lose, the Ravens' are locked into the #1 seed in the AFC and the opening round bye. They have already met their primary goal of making the playoffs. They, like us, are also aware that their success in the playoffs rides on the arm and legs of Lamar Jackson - period. Add in the fact that the Steelers play an aggressive, physical defense and are fighting for their playoff lives, it only makes sense to sit Jackson and improve their odds of achieving their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.

 

To me, the bigger story for week 18 is the Buffalo Bills.

From what i can tell, if the Bills beat the Dolphins, the Bills win the AFC East and the #2 or #3 seed and the Dolphins drop down to the 6th seed.. If they (the Bills) lose, however, they drop out of the playoffs entirely.

 

This is for sure the game to watch. Both teams with a lot on the line. The Bills started rough but have been fun to watch of late. The Dolphins started hot but have been crapping their pants when it matters most, more often than not, and have some meaningful injuries.

The Texans / Colts and the NFC South games are also all must-win games, really. Remains to be seen whether they'll carry the same amount of drama that the above game seems to have coming in.

 

If the Bills win, they win the division, but they can still get in with a loss and either a Steelers or Jaguars loss.. Steelers lose and the Bills clinch a playoff spot.

 

From the NFL in the 2 point controversy

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL does not plan to change the procedure for players reporting as eligible. The league views the situation as an effort by the Lions to engage in deception and gamesmanship that backfired.

 

So, what that tells me is that they let them know before the game, and even though he went and reported, they purposely ignored him and only accepted #70 as eligible. THAT is taking the game into your own hands as a official crew and the league stands behind them. If a player reports, they should be forced to mark them as reported.

The NFL obviously felt it wasn't all on the Lions since Brad Allen's crew was demoted on Sunday and will not be allowed to work any post season games.

 

Dean Blandino noted that no ref would go along with a trick intended to fool the defense. Seems like a pointless thing to push... the ref isn't a participant in anything. If he does his job correctly, the ref informs the defense who has reported eligible. No matter what gestures the offense makes or what formation they initially show, that's the source of truth.

In this case, it would be easy for the defense to be asleep at the wheel since the other player had frequently been eligible throughout the game. So sure, there was some attempted legerdemain involved. Dan Campbell acknowledges that. Still, NOTHING has come from the league or other sources that would let the ref off the hook. Brad Allen himself messed up this one big time, both during the game and with the postgame response.

 

Absolutely correct. Allens job was to know who was eligible and report it, nothing else is necessary. Campbell tried to make it confusing to the defense, but Allen was the one burned. Funny how they pull Brad Allen and crew from the Playoffs, which is an admission of failure, then turn around and give him a national game with Playoff implications. The NFL is clueless on many levels.

 

Also funny how they turn around and try to blame it on the Lions trying to be deceitful.

 

[Okay as much as it pains me to say it the Steelers fan base is full of idiots. An article on Steelers Depot talked about TJ being the team MVP. I mocked the Pickett fans by saying oh no how can that be when the team is 7-2 in games he starts and finishes. Then I went on to say TJ is not only the right choice he is the obvious choice. The reply I got was

Now I'm not claiming I'm the smartest or most knowledgeable Steelers fan out there but I DO KNOW TJ Watt has a lot to do with their wins and that if he were not on the field their record would likely be in the losing side.

First they want to lift Pickett up to hero status then they want to deny the hero we do have SMH