DefenseRules

http://www.boston.com/sports/footbal.../reiss_pieces/
That's his story and he's sticking to it. It sounds plausible, but I still think Triplette and his crew are a bunch of scrubs.
There was some BS being called out there today, IMO.

DarrylS

Not sure about this, but the penalty calling was very inconsistent and clearly on the side of the Lions. While the Pats played poorly, the penalty calling did not help.

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Rob0729

If there was no time out, why wasn't the defensive player penalized for taking off his helmet on the field? The only time you can do that is when there was a time out.

It is all moot because we scored on the next play anyway and we ate the same amount of time off the clock as we would have if they didn't stop the clock, but it could have been costly.

Yet another in the long line of refs screw ups this season.

PatsFaninAZ

I believe the explanation is that there was an "excessive" time out, which under the rules is when an official mistakenly grants a time out that the team does not have. If it happens before the two minute warning of either half, or if it's for an injury (once), inside the two minute warning of either half, it's regarded as an "excessive" time out and there is no penalty and the time out is granted.

If the official concludes that it was deliberate outside of the two minutes, or that it's a faked injury, he can call unsportsmanlike or some other foul.

Patsfanin Philly

http://www.nfl.com/features/rulebook/signals/08

The symbol is for delay of game or excess timeout.......




DELAY OF GAME
or EXCESS TIME OUT

Folded arms.
Maybe somebody could define what excess timeout means. To this guy, it means trying to call one when you don't have on eleft. Granted there was no harm as the Pats scored a TD on the next play but......Triplette and Luckett's crews (remember the coin toss) always seem to have controversy....

dtbrks

I was there and that call was aweful. Can't understand how they could blow that call so bad.

Pats726

That is so Bogus...so a player calls a time out WHICH the team doesn't have..the offensice rythym is stopped AND no penalty..what a bunch OF BS!!!
WHen is Goodell and the NFL going to clean up this mess called officiating??
That's it..in a situation like that just call atime out??? Why not..just do it the damn rule is in there..Totally terrible...and look at teh Giant game and an Illegal Crackback block..that never happened..These officials are pitiful and every week they are proved more and MORE wrong!! Is theer a site that tracks all these bogus calls so one can see how bad they are?? I think it is happening more an dmore and needs to be addressed!!

40yrpatsfan

Triplett was the ref in our Denver playoff game last year. He's the one referee in the league that I really dislike.

FloridaPatsFan

Watching the NFL the last few years has really opened my eyes about refereeing. While most of the Refs are honest and try to be fair, some are simply making a mess of the game.

I think that the refs are trying to keep most games competitive so that TV's are not being turned off too quickly and fans get to watch a competitive game. In short, they are trying to keep it interesting on the field.

My problem with this is that giving a team a few extra 1st downs or taking away big plays will catch up to you eventually and the team that deserved to win will lose and vice versa.

What I have noticed the last few years is there is too much refereeing. Bad calls are changing the outcome of the game. Today I saw the referees try to keep the game intersting and while the players don't talk about it publicly, the Pats are getting treated differently than the other teams they are playing.

I can't watch the NBA anymore because of horrible referees, I'm hoping that the NFL does'nt follow in the same steps any longer.

QuiGon

So why didn't he call the Lion guy for removing his helmet...?