Ravens/Steelers game

[zm1283]

Steelers DB lights up Willis McGahee after he makes a reception over the middle. McGahee fumbles and it's ruled as such (right call). Looking at the replay, it was CLEARLY a helmet-to-helmet hit and there was no flag. Why no flag on this, but NFL referees will throw flags for much more minor things? (D-lineman's hand accidentally brushing a QB's head while trying to deflect a pass) I thought football referees have time to "Watch the play develop"? If they have so much damn time, why can't they get stuff like this right?

Edit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfS9KQsExgs

(This one really takes the cake!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9KmXAmMTjw

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by zm1283

Steelers DB lights up Willis McGahee after he makes a reception over the middle. McGahee fumbles and it's ruled as such (right call). Looking at the replay, it was CLEARLY a helmet-to-helmet hit and there was no flag. Why no flag on this, but NFL referees will throw flags for much more minor things? (D-lineman's hand accidentally brushing a QB's head while trying to deflect a pass) I thought football referees have time to "Watch the play develop"? If they have so much damn time, why can't they get stuff like this right?

Well QBs are treated differently in the NFL. That is just the way it is. And to say the McGahee hit was "clearly" helmet to helmet is a bit of an overstatement. The Steeler player turned his head and shoulder away from the McGahee. If the players got up, you would not have thought a single thing about the hit. And CBS had to show two different angles before it was clear that player touched helmets illegally in any way.

Peace

[daggo66]

Who would you call the penalty on? It appeared to me that the defender tried to iniate contact with his shoulder, but the runner turned and lowered his head at the last instant.

[jaybird]

In real time, I felt the hit was illegal as the defender appeared to target the opponent's head and I threw my flag from my recliner.
Upon replay, I felt that the defender initiated contact with his helmet to the head of the opponent and confirmed my flag.

I just hope that McGahee will be ok.

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by jaybird

In real time, I felt the hit was illegal as the defender appeared to target the opponent's head and I threw my flag from my recliner.
Upon replay, I felt that the defender initiated contact with his helmet to the head of the opponent and confirmed my flag.

I just hope that McGahee will be ok.

I agree with daggo66 that the defender was trying to lead with his shoulder and the action of the runner caused the helmets to collide. I would probably go with no foul. This is definitely a good play for video review and league discussion.

[PSU213]

In addtion, there were several other helmet-to-helmet hits by both teams that were unpenalized. Also, you are ignoring the blatent roughing the passer by the Ravens in the first half that was not called. IMHO, both teams were the victims of suspect calls and non-calls. Then again, there is a reason these men were calling the AFC Championship Game, and I was on the couch at home. In the end, this game certainly did not come down to a few quesionable calls.

[JRutledge]

Wow, this place is becoming fan boy central.

Peace

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by daggo66

Who would you call the penalty on? It appeared to me that the defender tried to iniate contact with his shoulder, but the runner turned and lowered his head at the last instant.

The runner had just caught the ball and was getting absolutely plastered by the Steelers defender. McGahee had no idea what was going on.

[Robert Goodman]

Looked to me like the contact was primarily shoulder to shoulder, and that their heads met only because each player had enough momentum in his head that their necks bent toward each other. In other words, any head to head contact was incidental to a legal hit by both players.

Robert

[pmarz1]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Well QBs are treated differently in the NFL. That is just the way it is. And to say the McGahee hit was "clearly" helmet to helmet is a bit of an overstatement. The Steeler player turned his head and shoulder away from the McGahee. If the players got up, you would not have thought a single thing about the hit. And CBS had to show two different angles before it was clear that player touched helmets illegally in any way.

Peace

Obviously, the comments here, including yours, are posted by Steeler and Ravens fans. Let me clear things up for you. Watch the replay in slow motion. You will see McGahee clearly being hit on the side of his helmet with the crown of Clarks helmet. There are specific rules regarding this which I'll post:

13. A tackler using his helmet to butt, spear, or ram an opponent.

14. Any player who uses the top of his helmet unnecessarily.

These rules are specifically aimed at defensive players, not the offense. I'm not saying the outcome of the game would have been different(most likely not)but it would be nice to see the officials make appropriate calls on relatively obvious plays such as this. This may be too much to ask considering they somehow ruled against the Steelers in the first half on whether or not there was a completion/TD by Holmes. After review, I thought the only question would be if he actually got into the endzone yet the officiating braintrust somehow ruled an incomplete pass?????

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by pmarz1

Obviously, the comments here, including yours, are posted by Steeler and Ravens fans. Let me clear things up for you. Watch the replay in slow motion. You will see McGahee clearly being hit on the side of his helmet with the crown of Clarks helmet. There are specific rules regarding this which I'll post:

It is clear you do not know the rules. You did not even realize in your post that the word "any" was used when it talked about helmet contact.

That says it all for me. I will leave you to your fan boy discussion. Because it is clear you know nothing about rules or officiating.

Peace

[ajmc]

Actually, the announcers did an excellent job of explaining why a "no call" was the correct call, and they used the replays to support their observation and analysis.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by zm1283

Why no flag on this, but NFL referees will throw flags for much more minor things? (D-lineman's hand accidentally brushing a QB's head while trying to deflect a pass) I thought football referees have time to "Watch the play develop"? If they have so much damn time, why can't they get stuff like this right?

Stop acting like some idiot fanboy.

1. What the NFL considers roughing the passer has nothing to do with this play. They are totally different situations.

2. Give it up about having time to get it right. Maybe it was a foul, maybe it wasn't but you know that things happen fast on the field. It is a lot easier to make the call after 10 slow motion replays from mutiple angles.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by zm1283

Steelers DB lights up Willis McGahee after he makes a reception over the middle. McGahee fumbles and it's ruled as such (right call). Looking at the replay, it was CLEARLY a helmet-to-helmet hit and there was no flag. Why no flag on this, but NFL referees will throw flags for much more minor things? (D-lineman's hand accidentally brushing a QB's head while trying to deflect a pass) I thought football referees have time to "Watch the play develop"? If they have so much damn time, why can't they get stuff like this right?

They got it right. This was a play downfield, not helmet to helmet contact on a QB, not spearing and McGahee lowered his head, not the defender.

You're clueless.

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

They got it right. This was a play downfield, not helmet to helmet contact on a QB, not spearing and McGahee lowered his head, not the defender.

You're clueless.

What does it matter if it was a hit on a QB or not? They routinely penalize contact against QBs that is VERY minor, but let this stuff go?

I knew this thread would get a rise out of the "Must defend NFL referees at all costs" crowd.

Football officials are clueless.

Edit: For the record, I'm not a fan of either of these teams. I just think NFL officiating is probably the worst of any major sport.