Unofficial 2018 NFL season thread

[jerichoholicninja]

That is a bizarre set of circumstances. Bear player makes a catch but it's striped out as he's going to the ground, ruled incomplete. It's reviewed, under 2 minutes, and basically ruled a catch, but since no one jumped on the ball, except the ref who had to walk over and pick it up, it's an incomplete pass. Also embarrassingly for NBC, their "rules expert" thought it would be bears ball at the spot of the fumble. I'll cut him some slack since this is probably the first time that rule has even needed to be used on a catch like that with the new rules for catches this year.

 

The ruling makes no sense. How is it not any different then when a player fumbles the ball out of bounds? If it was ruled a complete catch on replay it should have been the offense's ball where the fumble occurred. To say that a confirmed catch is not a catch because no one picked the ball up is just stupid. Of course no one picked the ball up, the refs ruled it an incomplete pass and the ball rolled away from the players and to an official. It was a dead ball. The fact that someone actually thought up this situation shows how thorough the rules people are. But the ruling they came up with shows just how stupid they are.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Replay needs to go. I've been saying this for years and I know it's a minority opinion because we're obsessed with it getting it "right." The problem is, they aren't, there is more gray area than we imagined, and we've become so obsessed with it being right we're seemingly making up rules as we go.

 

But most importantly, it has obliterated the watchability of football. It was better with blatant blown calls because the games actually had climactic moments instead of every borderline call going before the Supreme Court.

 

Multiple moments in both games where they went to review and I'm just screaming inside "JUST PLAY THE GAME." I can't stand watching it. It happens like every 5 minutes of game action.

[homer]

So if an Eagles player picked the ball up and returned it for a touchdown after the whistle, it would have been a dead ball where he picked it up?

[young guns]

So if an Eagles player picked the ball up and returned it for a touchdown after the whistle, it would have been a dead ball where he picked it up?

Yeah. All either team had to do was pick up the ball and they would have gotten it at that spot. With how things are taught today I'm a little shocked nobody did. This one will probably be changed in the off season. It's just too counterintuitive.

[trwi7]

That was the best missed fg ive ever seen.

 

Honestly, I thought it had hit the upright, and gone through....kept waiting on the officials to signal.

 

I couldn't wish a more heartbreaking defeat on to any other team in the league.

 

Scha-den-freu-de!

 

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap-Clap-Clap*

 

Scha-den-freu-de!

 

When it hit the upright I was going crazy, then I saw it bounce inside and I didn't see where the ball went and usually when it hits like that it goes through so then I was depressed. Then I saw the ball bouncing in the end zone and knew he missed it. I hate roller coasters but that was my favorite one.

[trwi7]

So if an Eagles player picked the ball up and returned it for a touchdown after the whistle, it would have been a dead ball where he picked it up?

Yeah. All either team had to do was pick up the ball and they would have gotten it at that spot. With how things are taught today I'm a little shocked nobody did. This one will probably be changed in the off season. It's just too counterintuitive.

 

That whole thing was weird because the ref immediately signaled incomplete and is basically standing right by the ball as he makes the signal. If anyone player had wanted to go after the ball they would've seen the ref aggressively signaling incomplete and probably just stop going for it right there.

[OldHeidelberg]

That is a bizarre set of circumstances. Bear player makes a catch but it's striped out as he's going to the ground, ruled incomplete. It's reviewed, under 2 minutes, and basically ruled a catch, but since no one jumped on the ball, except the ref who had to walk over and pick it up, it's an incomplete pass. Also embarrassingly for NBC, their "rules expert" thought it would be bears ball at the spot of the fumble. I'll cut him some slack since this is probably the first time that rule has even needed to be used on a catch like that with the new rules for catches this year.

 

The ruling makes no sense. How is it not any different then when a player fumbles the ball out of bounds? If it was ruled a complete catch on replay it should have been the offense's ball where the fumble occurred. To say that a confirmed catch is not a catch because no one picked the ball up is just stupid. Of course no one picked the ball up, the refs ruled it an incomplete pass and the ball rolled away from the players and to an official. It was a dead ball. The fact that someone actually thought up this situation shows how thorough the rules people are. But the ruling they came up with shows just how stupid they are.

 

The only thing I can think of is they don't think it is fair to have catch ruled incomplete, and the ref blows the whistle so play stops, and then reverse it meaning the defense never got chance to recover a fumble so the offense benefits by a bad ruling by the ref. But if a player does recover it then they know what would have happened if the ref did rule it a fumble so they can change the call. In your example of the ball going out of bounds the refs do know the end result so they could call it a catch and fumble and place the ball where it went out of bounds. It's confusing as hell like the entire catch rule but I guess I can see the logic. I have never liked replay anyway, plenty of champions were crowned without it.

[owbc]

When it hit the upright I was going crazy, then I saw it bounce inside and I didn't see where the ball went and usually when it hits like that it goes through so then I was depressed. Then I saw the ball bouncing in the end zone and knew he missed it. I hate roller coasters but that was my favorite one.

 

The reaction of the mascot is perhaps the best part of the whole thing.

[homer]

So if an Eagles player picked the ball up and returned it for a touchdown after the whistle, it would have been a dead ball where he picked it up?

Yeah. All either team had to do was pick up the ball and they would have gotten it at that spot. With how things are taught today I'm a little shocked nobody did. This one will probably be changed in the off season. It's just too counterintuitive.

 

To me you are just asking for scrums after the whistle blows the way things stand right now. They have to change that rule.

[young guns]

It's not much different then it is now with fumbles on runs. Teams see the ball on the ground and go for it even with refs blowing their whistles and pointing to the ground emphatically.

 

I'm wondering now what would have happened if someone far away got an ok look at the catch, or just decided what the heck, and went running after the ball, but since they were so far away the ref picks up the ball before they get there. Does the player get a delay of game if they take it out of the refs hands? Is the ball dead after the ref touched it or would he still get credit for "recovering" the fumble?

[OldHeidelberg]

Just to be clear and I may be wrong but I think the rule is "immediate and clear recovery" which I take as meaning it has to result from continuing action. Like as soon as he dropped it a bunch of nearby players dive for it even if the whistle is blowing. I don't think they could run over to where that ball was with the official waving incomplete and pick it up. In this case the ball was punched so far away from the play with no players around I don't think anyone could have went over and picked it up and had it called a recovery.

[jerichoholicninja]

Just to be clear and I may be wrong but I think the rule is "immediate and clear recovery" which I take as meaning it has to result from continuing action. Like as soon as he dropped it a bunch of nearby players dive for it even if the whistle is blowing. I don't think they could run over to where that ball was with the official waving incomplete and pick it up. In this case the ball was punched so far away from the play with no players around I don't think anyone could have went over and picked it up and had it called a recovery.

 

The way the rules guy in the booth was talking last night, all a player had to do was pick it up before the ref did. It's interesting if you watch the ref the ball rolls to, he kind of looks at it and then looks around and sees that no one is going after it so then he picks it up. I wonder if the refs are told to let a player pick up a loose ball whenever possible to avoid any controversy about a recovery.

[LouisEly]

I would still rank the Vikings kicker miss as higher than this but it was glorious.

Yep. Walsh's field goal was only 27 yards, and missed it by 10 feet.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HSvWf4R5DY

 

Holder didn't put the laces out.

[CheezWizHed]

I would still rank the Vikings kicker miss as higher than this but it was glorious.

Yep. Walsh's field goal was only 27 yards, and missed it by 10 feet.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HSvWf4R5DY

 

Holder didn't put the laces out.

[sarcasm]And the common thread? Michael Bennett played on defense both games![/sarcasm]

[young guns]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25745503/chicago-brewery-cody-parkey-challenge-yields-0-winners-101-entrants?platform=amp

 

Lol bears fans.

 

Also, the colts-chiefs game was pretty exciting even with the score. Colts seemed to be quite the media darling going in too. Just hoping the patriots lose and the afc will be "safe" for me.

[young guns]

Interesting play where the coyboys right tackle effectively sacked Prescott because he wrapped his arms around him and spun him a little to keep him upright, but the ref was behind him and im assuming couldn't tell who had his arms around him because he called the play dead as an "in the grasp".

[jerichoholicninja]

While I was watching the Chiefs roll through the Colts yesterday, I thought to myself they'll win no matter who they play in the AFC championship game. Then I watched the Patriots even more thoroughly take apart the Chargers today and it changed my mind.

[young guns]

That no call pass interference could ruin this great game.

[young guns]

30th pick it is!

[nodakfan17]

Wow, 2 bad non-calls cost the Saints a trip to the SB. I can’t feel too bad for them. Lord knows Rodgers has had his share of bad luck prevent him from winning #2.

[OldHeidelberg]

Wow, 2 bad non-calls cost the Saints a trip to the SB. I can’t feel too bad for them. Lord knows Rodgers has had his share of bad luck prevent him from winning #2.

 

On the call in regulation I thought the ball was there, weird play since it didn't hit either player but Payton just said the refs said the ball had arrived. Could have called the hit to the head but hate to see a conference championship decided on that. On the OT pick I thought the ball was tipped but on a later replay I wasn't so sure, I just think the refs saw a jump ball and ignored the contact.

 

Edit: Well just saw the replay again, pretty tough to argue it wasn't PI. I guess I saw the angle from behind the play where it looked like the ball was near the players on contact but the receiver still has to be given a shot at it.

[young guns]

Andy Reid goes full McCarthy and the timeout blows up in his face. Though i cant blame him tbf.

[MrTPlush]

Saints were flat out robbed. The refs sucked in the game...they refused to call penalties at a disturbing pace. No wonder so many are continuing to not watch that trash called the NFL.

 

In other news I wish they would start calling delay of games and not give BS timeouts. It happens way too often. Call the penalty.

[young guns]

Thanks for nothin kc. Also, I still hate the ot rules.

[OldHeidelberg]

The NFL overtime coin toss continues to be the weirdest thing in all of sports. I am sure they will fix it someday, at this point I think the college style shootout is the best solution. Everyone is gassed, end it quick and give both teams a fair shot.