Some strange calls by refs in Broncos Steelers playoff game

[abdul7]

Firstly a belated Happy New Year to all my friends, especially my best pal shmessy. Sorry if its been talked about in the game thread but am i right in saying there were some strange calls yesterday by the Refs that helped the Steelers get back in the game ? !
With Denver up 14 pts,,how big was that "bad" call of the clear lateral that should have been a fumble inside the Pittsburg 20 ? Yes the whistle was blown ,,but it was a clear lateral ! There should be a rule to have that challenged. There were also a couple of strange calls later after that. Still i guess it didnt matter in the end,,,but the call could have changed who we play this Saturday. GO PATS.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Re: Some strange calls

That's one that needs to be looked at in the offseason, for sure. Luckily it did not cost Denver the W, but did make them have to work harder and soften them up a little more for next week Rule has to be changed though.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Some strange calls

Firstly a belated Happy New Year to all my friends, especially my best pal shmessy. Sorry if its been talked about in the game thread but am i right in saying there were some strange calls yesterday by the Refs that helped the Steelers get back in the game ? !
With Denver up 14 pts,,how big was that "bad" call of the clear lateral that should have been a fumble inside the Pittsburg 20 ? Yes the whistle was blown ,,but it was a clear lateral ! There should be a rule to have that challenged. There were also a couple of strange calls later after that. Still i guess it didnt matter in the end,,,but the call could have changed who we play this Saturday. GO PATS.

Agreed. If the Steelers had won, that play would have been regarded as turning the tide. If the Broncos are allowed to keep the ball that, IMO, they legitimately possessed, they likely score at least a FG and take control of the game.

 

[The_Riddler]

Re: Some strange calls

Steelers have been getting the benefit of the calls for about 10 years now, not surprised on that lateral non call and the inadvertant whistle. That's par for the course for the horse-shoe Steelers.

So glad in the end Denver took it, because they deserved it. Didn't want to see a repeat of the referree horror-show that handed the Steelers an undeserved trophy when they played the Seahawks.

 

[Husse]

Re: Some strange calls

Yeah, it seems like the refs are just a little hot on blowing the whistle to stop the play as soon as the ball hit the ground. It happened in another game too, for the life of me I can't remember which it was though it was only like 2 days ago. That would have been a clear touchdown if the ref didn't blow the whistle prematurely.

 

[BTTA]

Re: Some strange calls

I don't think you can change the rule. If the whistle blows, and the ball is on the ground, the play has to be over. What's the alternative?

This was simply incompetence on the part of one of the officials.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Re: Some strange calls

I don't think you can change the rule. If the whistle blows, and the ball is on the ground, the play has to be over. What's the alternative?

This was simply incompetence on the part of one of the officials.

Its a tough one. That call could have really killed DEN. Another DEN TD would have been close to lights out for Pitt. If that had happened to the Pats I'd be livid.

To your point, I don't know how they change it. Players are told to play to the whistle. Blowing the whistle was a catastrophic mistake by the official.

 

[WhiZa]

Re: Some strange calls

Steelers have been getting the benefit of the calls for about 10 years now, not surprised on that lateral non call and the inadvertant whistle. That's par for the course for the horse-shoe Steelers.

So glad in the end Denver took it, because they deserved it. Didn't want to see a repeat of the referree horror-show that handed the Steelers an undeserved trophy when they played the Seahawks.

I agree. It was Denver's game to lose the entire way and they still almost blew it. Refs weren't helping though. I mean, how many facemask penalties were missed in that game?

 

[brdmaverick]

Re: Some strange calls

I don't think you can change the rule. If the whistle blows, and the ball is on the ground, the play has to be over. What's the alternative?

This was simply incompetence on the part of one of the officials.

Exactly, when players play "past the whistle" that's when more flags and suspensions happen.

Did anyone else notice an inadvertant whistle during the Lions-Saints game on Brees' fumble? I'm pretty sure that the whistle happened before the ball was officially recovered (although there were four Lions right around the ball). I was surprised that the refs actually gave the ball to the Lions, but I was glad because that was the right call. Maybe they overlooked to the technicalities of the rule to do what was right.

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

Re: Some strange calls

Apparently some Pittsburgh fans legitimately believe that they were the ones who got robbed.

Incompetent Referees - Steelers Fever Forums

 

[brdmaverick]

Re: Some strange calls

As for the conspiracy theory that the refs were trying to help the Steelers, even though I absolutely LOATHE the Steelers, I would have to disagree. Sure the play in question was a bad call, plain and simple, but the calls seem to go both ways yesterday. Denver was certainly the beneficiary of some questionable calls.

The 'roughing the qb' penalty was pretty weak.

And as far as bad calls are concerned, when Eric Decker caught that pass and it rolled away as it hit the ground, I'm sure it was pretty obvious to all of us that it should have been ruled an incomplete pass. Not sure why the refs were trying to give the Broncos the call there.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Re: Some strange calls

Exactly, when players play "past the whistle" that's when more flags and suspensions happen.

Did anyone else notice an inadvertant whistle during the Lions-Saints game on Brees' fumble? I'm pretty sure that the whistle happened before the ball was officially recovered (although there were four Lions right around the ball). I was surprised that the refs actually gave the ball to the Lions, but I was glad because that was the right call. Maybe they overlooked to the technicalities of the rule to do what was right.

I think they thought it was a "Tuck Rule" situation (incomplete pass).

 

[The Brandon Five]

Re: Some strange calls

I agree. It was Denver's game to lose the entire way and they still almost blew it. Refs weren't helping though. I mean, how many facemask penalties were missed in that game?

A couple of facemasks that I remember: Tebow getting thrown out of bounds by Taylor by his mask and Ball being brought to the ground by Mundy by his mask.

 

[BTTA]

Re: Some strange calls

A couple of facemasks that I remember: Tebow getting thrown out of bounds by Taylor by his mask and Ball being brought to the ground by Mundy by his mask.

Agree, and this isn't the first game where the refs have missed those calls. He gets his mask grabbed more than any QB I can remember, and most of it is uncalled. They'll undoubtedly ask the league to have the officials be more alert to it for the Pats game.

 

[The_Riddler]

Re: Some strange calls

Apparently some Pittsburgh fans legitimately believe that they were the ones who got robbed.

Incompetent Referees - Steelers Fever Forums

You've got to be kidding me. That Steeler team has been getting the majority of the calls for years. The Elway Broncos I always considered to be the luckiest team in football. This decade, the Steelers overtook them in the "fortunate calls" department.

 

[sevengables_2207]

Re: Some strange calls

Agreed. If the Steelers had won, that play would have been regarded as turning the tide. If the Broncos are allowed to keep the ball that, IMO, they legitimately possessed, they likely score at least a FG and take control of the game.

Agree. Had Pitt won, then this play... along with that ill-timed McGahee fumble would have been the two tide turning plays.

 

[BradyMossWelker]

Re: Some strange calls

And as far as bad calls are concerned, when Eric Decker caught that pass and it rolled away as it hit the ground, I'm sure it was pretty obvious to all of us that it should have been ruled an incomplete pass. Not sure why the refs were trying to give the Broncos the call there.

The Decker catch was ruled a incomplete pass.
Wtf are you talking about?

 

[The Scrizz]

Re: Some strange calls

Very similar to the errant whistle in New Orleans which to me was even more egregious as it would have put Detroit up 21-7 on the road and really changes the complexion of that game. They got boned royally.

My solution: less guys having whistles. The Ref and maybe one or two other guys should have whistles and should be deferring to the guy closest to the play. Let the other guys throw their flags and beanbags and make the spots, but they have no business blowing the whistle on a play 30 yards from them when there is another official right there.

I was happy to see them get together and pick up the flag on the DJ Williams hit which was absolutely textbook - shoulder to midsection. Of course Tomlin was all upset because he still doesn't know what a clean hit is. Is Harrison capable of hitting anywhere other than the helmet or the knee?

F Steelers and their fans. Have a nice off-season scumbags.

 

[The Scrizz]

Re: Some strange calls

The Decker catch was ruled a incomplete pass.
Wtf are you talking about?

Was it ruled incomplete or challenged and over-turned? I thought it was a challenge because it seemed to take a while and they showed the replay 10 times.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Re: Some strange calls

Apparently some Pittsburgh fans legitimately believe that they were the ones who got robbed.

Incompetent Referees - Steelers Fever Forums

they actually seemed fairly reasonaable to me. As a fan, it's easy to see the refs being 1-sided. To me, the Steelers seemed to benefit from missed calls. The biggest being the lateral pass as that was a turnover with good field position for Denver.