What a stupid ass take. The game is over if they don't screw that call up. It's not weak minded to suggest that - it's common sense. The game was taken from them. They didn't have the game in their hands they had the game WON if not for that screw job. Without the call its 4th Down in a 3 point game. Anyone's game with a massive momentum shift the other way. Especially in today's NFL where the rules generally benefit the offense (see Dallas' game winning drive) With the right call they'd have the lead, the ball, 1st down to run the clock down, in scoring position. That's ball game. That was about as close as it gets to a call or NON call (or call taken away) deciding the game
The game was not over. You have to do a lot of assuming that Dallas wouldn't have gotten the ball one more time with a chance to still win. You'd have to assume the Lions either score a TD or run the clock out. Neither was a given. What's pretty fucking stupid in my opinion is that you reached that conclusion. We got a bad call against us so we can roll over and blame the refs. That's loser thinking.
See, I think you are right according to the rules, but I don't believe that is how it is always called. You see a lot of PI flags that simply wouldn't have been called if the defender had just turned around. The basic problem is that the way PI is called is wildly inconsistent and uncertain.
The Lions are at fault for this loss and I completely agree the call is an excuse. 1.) After the call they still had a down to get one yard but chose not to. They punted. All they had to do is get one yard. Conservative. 2.) At this point the Lions were still WINNING THE GAME. Dallas hadn't won anything yet. If you want to win, STOP THE COWBOYS. They would've had to do that anyways. There was almost 9 minutes left in the game. 3.) The punter then punted the ball 10 yards. TEN YARDS. Did the refs do that too? 4.) The Lions defense, which was top 2 all year long, then allowed the Cowboys to move the ball with ease down the field and score. Did the refs do that? 5.) The Lions got the ball back with a chance to win the game and Stafford fumbled the ball.... twice! The line got beaten like a drum. Did the refs do that? The Lions were winning the game at the time of the non-call and had numerous opportunities to win the game after that - they didn't.
But the refs made the lions give up a 4th and 6 conversion to Dallas you guys, all year long the Jets have had shit like this and worse happen to them and it doesn't matter. Now all of a sudden it's an outrage. Who gives a fuck about the Lions. They've lost 9 straight playoff games for a reason and it's not the refs.
Horrible game-changing calls happen all the time. I've been watching football for at least 35 years, and here is the thing for me: the officials actually ANNOUNCED the penalty. "Pass interference, number so-and-so, automatic first down." This happened. I'm not certain as to whether they actually spotted the ball at the scene of the crime (they may have), but they most certainly ANNOUNCED THE PENALTY, and then took it back. The point is that I've NEVER seen this happen before that I can remember. Ruined and tainted the entire game for me and gave another black-eye to the sport in what otherwise would have been a great game. Now the explanation that we are getting is that they somehow are taking one ref's word over another AFTER the call was announced? What a pile of horseshit. This playoff crew doesn't normally work together. The very least the multi-billion dollar NFL can do is employ full-time refs, especially in this era of "judgment calls." It's things like this that make me not want to watch football anymore. It's often not fair, which makes me think that it may not even be on the up-and-up. And, by the way, that was CLEARLY pass interference. Had they not inexplicably reversed the call AFTER it was already announced, it's a different game, and I think Detroit probably wins. I don't have a dog in this fight which gives me a biased opinion, either.
I guess I just disagree. You'd have to assume the Lions were going to definitely score a TD. A FG makes it a 6 pt game with the Cowboys still having a chance to win it.
I agree with this post, except to admit I was rooting for Detroit, while not my team by any means, because I hate Dallas. Still, the point is as you say - I can't recall a penalty being announced, the ball moved, and only then having it taken back, without any apparent reference by the refs to the game film. At a bare minimum the handling of the situation gave the appearance of improper meddling by someone on the officiating crew. The situation was so bad that we see the NFL had to announce that the refs screwed up, which imo the NFL does once in a blue moon. They only make such an announcement in effect when they have to. So it is fair to conclude even the NFL knew it smelled like shit. Knowing as much as I do about how the real world works, you just cannot assume there was nothing improper going on here. Why should the NFL be handled in such a way that large numbers of fans are justifiably left wondering what was really going on? One need not be a conspiracy theorist to acknowledge a big question arose from the way this was handled.
Even in a 6 point game, Dallas would have had less time to mount their next drive, which needless to say would not have followed a ten yard punt. Yes that was on Detroit's kicker, but that doesn't change anything - you don't know how a team would have played if a major play goes the other way at any point during the game. that cuts both ways. With a six point lead Detroit's D would have known the boys would not be driving for a tying FG, for example, and could have fielded a different defense. I am sure you don't realize this, but you sound like someone making excuses for the NFL, probably because you don't want your faith in the game undermined by controversies. Hence you minimize the controversy. But in so doing you make the effort to discount how a single play like that changed everything about the game going forward. Face it, that call sucked.
First off I said the officials blew it. Second, I never said the Cowboys would have won the game even if the call stood, I said the game wasn't over at that point.
I thought the best part was the guy claiming that the NFL was fixed due to two outrageous claims, but to each their own.
That was pretty good; but the best part was catching questionable, biased, NFL Officiating integrity in the act, in the playoffs and on prime time television, and then reading Patriots fans defending it.
In my opinion, if there is a general bias in NFL officiating, it's towards the home team. Teams will point to the Patriots, teams with Manning, and the Cowboys "getting calls", but these views are biased because they don't point out the calls that go against them as well. There is no favoritism towards certain teams, no matter what people on the internet want to believe to make themselves feel better.
The handling of the DPI call was bad enough, but what seems laughable is the fact that a player on the bench can run out onto the field, confront the official who made the call and nothing happens. Common sense says that should be an automatic call every time and I expect that they'll address it in the offseason.
There is certainly an argument to say there is favoritism towards certain teams. It's perfectly normal that you don't think so because the team you root for is one of those very teams.
Dungy wrote that was the most glaring aspect, and lack of display of "courage" by the officiating crew from the Dallas-Detroit "DPI"dilemma.
So what were the referees thinking here: http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2013/11/watch_the_controversial_pass_i.html Does the favoritism only apply in certain instances? How does this work? In actuality, it helps you sleep at night. Edit: This also cost the Patriots home field advantage against the Broncos last season.
