Monday Night: Catch

[parepat]

Did anyone else see the play that replay called incomplete? I'm stunned. For those who didn't, I saw, possession two feet down, tackler p[opped ball out, and fumble out of bounds. Anyone see differently?

[JRutledge]

When the receiver goes to the ground, they have to establish control. Almost immediately after the player had the ball, he had the defender all over the ball and he dropped the ball before he hit the ground. Remember, NFL Referees review more tape than any of us here and they are feed a philosophy of how to call plays like this. The bottom line is the NFL does not want cheap fumbles on catch/no catch situations. Joe Theisman has no idea what he is talking about as usual. It is not always about steps; it is about control and what the NFL thinks that means.

Peace

[parepat]

So is it your opinion that this receiver did not establish control before the ball came out. I absolutely believe he did. Going to the ground was irrelevent in that the ball was already out.

I Agree with you 100% about Joe T.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by parepat

So is it your opinion that this receiver did not establish control before the ball came out. I absolutely believe he did. Going to the ground was irrelevent in that the ball was already out.

I am not an NFL official and I likely never will be. I am just saying that the Competition Committee which comes up with rulings and philosophies of the rules has made plays like this more difficult to call. Remember plays like this have been reviewed over and over again on a weekly basis. I have seen actual NFL officiating tapes with plays similar to this seen as an incomplete pass (I happen to belong to an association that has 3 current NFL officials and one of the most famous Referees in NFL history as a former member). I am not telling what I think, I am sharing with you what I have heard and seen with my own eyes. I can see why you felt there was control, but I see also why the call was ruled incomplete. I am not in position to tell what is right or wrong when I do not work in the NFL.

Originally Posted by parepat

I Agree with you 100% about Joe T.

Peace

[ToGreySt]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Joe Theisman has no idea what he is talking about as usual.

Truer words have never been spoken

[cougar729]

apparently ESPN spent so much money on getting Monday night football, they couldnt afford to hire a less annoying color commentary than Joe T. I'm not really a fan of Tony K., but he's an angel compared with Joe. He has upset me eversince last year's playoff game with Washington, when he berated the officials for calling a penalty on the guy who spit in the other mans face. Give me a break Joe.

[gsf23]

I understand the going to the ground rule. I don't think this was a case where he was going to the ground as he was making a catch. He caught the ball, secured it, turned and took two steps BEFORE he was tackled. He went to the ground because he was being tackled. As he was being tackled, the ball was stripped from him. If you are going to use the going to the ground basis for this ruling, then everytime a receiver has the ball stripped as he is being tackled it should be ruled an incomplete pass like this one was.

[JasonTX]

I was shocked this was ruled incomplete. I do however agree with JRutledge regarding the NFL philosophy. I have seen this type of play ruled incomplete on a consistent basis. We may not agree with it, but that is the way they want it called. But, the final word will likely be given by Mike Pereira during his weekly NFL network show. I also agree with the comments about Joe T.

You know it would be funny to choose 7 commentators and arrange for them to all show up at the same stadium. Inform them that they are going to do a gig together and that their uniforms are in room 4. Tell them they have 1 hour to get dressed and report to the sideline. As they walk into the room the only uniforms are officiating uniforms. Tell them jerks that since they know so much about officiating that they get to work the first quarter of the game. Maybe not a regular season game, but at least a pre-season game.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by ToGreySt

Truer words have never been spoken

Joe Theisman would be a great color guy if he didn't say anything. He talks too much. I think he likes to hear himself talk.

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by Forksref

Joe Theisman would be a great color guy if he didn't say anything. He talks too much. I think he likes to hear himself talk.

I used to enjoy the old Sunday Night ESPN crew until I listened to a few games while doing something else. When you only listen to what they say and don't watch the game you realize how stupid they are. I also learned quickly Joe T. was the worst of them all. He's even worse when he's on the daily talk shows. Someone needs to have a serious talk with him about the rules because he definitely has no clue.

[Raymond]

I would like to see what the Head of Officiating has to say on NFL Network tonight. Wiggins took 2 full steps and was on his was down after lifting his foot for the 3rd step before the football was ripped out. If that is going to be interpreted as "no possession" then that rule needs to be looked at again in the off-season.