I was checking out articles on the Boston Globe to get their perspective on the game and stumbled on to the message board for the game (I know I shouldn't have done that). There are a few fans clammering on there that the refs were horrible and the reason the Patriots lost.

They were mostly upset about the DPI called on the "face guarding" play (I honestly didn't notice if there was contact), the OPI on Troy Brown, the RTP on the last Colts drive, and the non-DPI call in the end zone before the Pat's last FG.

The OPI and RTP were both correct per the rules and called correctly in the context of the game. As biased fans they just don't realize or see it that way. The "face guarding" play would not be DPI if there was no contact but the official must have felt there was contact. The only call of the group I would question is the non-DPI call but based on the rest of this game, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt to the crew for getting it right.

That's why they call them fanatics. It always looks different in slow motion from 8 camera angles to a biased fan than to a trained official in real time from 1 or 2 angles. Great job again guys if any of you peruse this site!

REPLY: Did they mention the TD catch by Gaffney near the end line when the officials ruled that he'd been forced out? I thought not.:rolleyes:

I agree, I thought that was pass interference also. I've seen "a lot" of DPI calls with a lot less contact this year.

And please, please pretty please NFL, change the brush to head to the quarterback by a defender to something other than a personal foul, 15 yards.:eek:

I thought the force out call was a great call. I think that clearly fits the rule as I know it. This is why this is a judgment call and not all judgments has to be agreed upon.

Peace

I thought it was a good force out call also...........

Good comments. It's so funny how some people simply don't have a clue! I was listening to the radio on the way home (Howard Eskin of 610 WIP in Philly). Howard is a complete jackass! If any of you are ever in the Philly area and need a laugh about someone who doesn't have a clue tune in to the AM station....they're always complaining about something.

He's now commented about poor NFL officiating 4 times in as many weeks. Today he went off about Terry McCauley's call of intentional grounding. He literally "went off" about officials "getting together and talking about things." I have noticed Terry does an excellent job of keeping his eye on the QB. I never saw him take his eyes off the QB to watch the pass.

But jackass Howard says "these officials are chickens and they don't want to make the call themselves so they go ask for help after the defensive complains, then make the call!"

He has absolutely, positively no clue that we each have individual responsibilities and that we're supposed to get together and discuss the entire call so we can get it right as a crew.

RTP on Manning
 

I, as well, was a little surprised at the call. What is the point at which the R's are instructed to make that call? Is the criteria some amount of force applied ("blow to the head"), or is the helmet simply off limits to any contact whatsoever? Anyone know their protocol?

Eskin didn't know what he was talking 27 years ago when I was teen-ager living in Burlington County. How has he lasted this long?

He healed the end-line? Was it sick? Injured?

Heal-To cure.

Heel-Part of the foot.

People thrive on listening to jackasses I guess.:confused:

wow, you sure got me there

Monte, Mike Spanier was the LJ in Bears/Saints game. He was at the camp in Sioux Falls last June.

Ya, I thought Mike did a great job! Good movement and really sold a couple of calls on catch/no catch.

I've heard that Blandino has acknowledged both that the DPI on Patriots in the EZ (the one Simms called "faceguarding") was incorrect and that the the absence of DPI on a colts play in the EZ later in the game (can't remember the details) was probably wrong or "questionable."

Haven't seen this anywhere in writing, though, although my google skills are questionable. Did Pereira do his bit on NFL network this week about last week's games? Anyway, my thoughts watching the game live:

1) Big props on the foot trip and the play in the back of the end zone. Great mechanics and coverage and great calls.

2) OPI on patriots number 80 looked pretty clear on replay.

3) The DPI on the "faceguarding" play was a bit tough because replay only showed end of play, but what you see on replay appeared to be sound defense and no contact.

4) There were two plays in which the colts were not flagged for DPI where I already was marching off the yards in my head. One was in the EZ. Can't remember, though, what the Patriots ultimately did on those drives.

5) Seemed to be some holding on pass protection on both sides; the players on both sides seemed to understand how the game was being called pretty quickly.

Edit and follow up: Well, it's being reported here and there that Blandino and league did admit error on the play, but when you read the actual articles it's all second hand stuff by some columnist or something. I think if we hear anything more about this, it will go down as yet another screw up by the television booth not knowing the rules leading to an incorrect assumption that the officials did not.