Last play: Gaffney was held too

[pats1]

According to DeOssie and Zolak on the 5th quarter.

Apparently Lewis and his flag-stealing and throwing friend Bart Scott didn't catch that.

DeOssie said that the DB on Gaffney had Gaff by his handwarmer and jersey.

 

[loosebearing]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

They both were held past the 5 yard limit. (NOT pass interferance like it sounds the Ravens were upset by)

 

[pats1]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

Actually, I'm re-watching the play now, and Bart Scott was on Gaffney and did appear to hold him. But Winborne, who the flag was on, was covering Watson.

 

[loosebearing]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

Watson was held when he cut left about 8 yards downfield

 

[pats1]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

Watson was held when he cut left about 8 yards downfield

Right, that was the original call.

I just watched the replay and it's clear on both. Winborn has his arms on each side of Watson turned around going into the endzone. Scott is clearly grabbing onto Gaffney's jersey, then his handwarmer when Gaff gets away.

 

[Water Boy]

I think Welker was held on the interception to Reed. You could see him complain to the refs at the end of the play.

 

[loosebearing]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

So, two holding penalties and everyone is saying bad officiating.

That they sould have let if ride. The problem is, is that what they were doing all night - so in effect they were like an umpire that has been calling border strikes balls all night and then in the ninth calling them strikes. Yes, they are strikes but why now.

This bad officiating is in my opinion an attempt to keep the game close for 3 quarters because if they called it "right" all game then the score would be out of hand by then.

But the backfire is that it now looks disingenuous when the right call is made in order to keep the game "right"

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Gaffney was defiitly held, as was Assante on that bogus hail mary..

 

[ne5patsfan4]

Gaffney was defiitly held, as was Assante on that bogus hail mary..

if that catch was in the endzone, would the call of been made?
probably not, and that woulda been huge on the refs.

 

[PrairiePat]

On the Hail Mary at the end, Gay gets steamrolled out of the play and Samuel is assaulted by one of the Ravens' receivers, all while the ball is in the air. No call. How can you not call that? What were the officials doing at that point, prepping for their postgame party??

 

[sieglo]

It was like that out there the entire game. Moss and Welker getting mugged.

If there is a blueprint on the Pats, it's hold and interfere with the receivers. The officials let it go unless it's blatant and the ball is in the area.

 

[SVN]

Len P agrees

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=3140574

With 55 seconds remaining and facing a fourth-and-5 from the Ravens' 13-yard line, Brady threw incomplete for tight end Benjamin Watson, but Baltimore dime cornerback Jamaine Winborne was flagged for holding in the secondary. It was the correct call by the officials, but on the wrong player. Winborne made virtually no contact on the play but, in underneath coverage, Scott had Gaffney in a bear-hug.

 

[Buchanty]

While I think the final 4 minutes were somewhat fortuitous the right calls were made, inasmuch as none of them were even borderline with the exception of Gaffney's catch (I'm not saying it wasn't a catch, just that there was tiny room for doubt, and it made for a nervous few minutes while the review was underway).

My larger concern however is the trend with the refs to allow opponents to continuously hold and almost mug Patriot players. And its not just the offense. Vince had two men on him most of the night, and often you could see the holds on him as McGahee slipped past.

However it is the offensive players that are getting the most attention and it has now happened 3 out 4 weeks. Perhaps the refs received a note to limit the Patriot offense, as the holding is omnipresent. Can you imagine how Polian would react if the Colts offense was treated as badly?

Hats off to Moss and Brady for alluding to the regular assault in their comments after the game, although by saying that the refs' decisions in the fourth quarter balanced out the non-calls in the first three they unnecessarily suggested that the refs got the final calls wrong. They didn't. But Randy and Tom were right to stress the men in stripes' mystifying disregard of the contact rules for most of the game.

And then the refs gave us one more final grandstand finish on non-calls. How on earth did that last Hail Mary pass get ruled complete? Mason's mugging of Assante was rougher than the one earlier on Moss, not only that but Gay was pushed in the back. Flags should have been thrown before the final whistle, but no the Ravens get credited for a 52 yard reception, and the yardage is logged against the Pats D.

I just wish there was some consistency in the holding and interference calls, it is gradually eroding confidence in the game.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

So, two holding penalties and everyone is saying bad officiating.

That they sould have let if ride. The problem is, is that what they were doing all night - so in effect they were like an umpire that has been calling border strikes balls all night and then in the ninth calling them strikes. Yes, they are strikes but why now.

This bad officiating is in my opinion an attempt to keep the game close for 3 quarters because if they called it "right" all game then the score would be out of hand by then.

But the backfire is that it now looks disingenuous when the right call is made in order to keep the game "right"

The Ravens were mugging and holding the receivers worse than Ty Law did
to the Rams. If the Colts were playing them, Polian would have been camped
out on the front steps of the NFL offices this morning. It should be interesting
as next week's Ravens game is against the Colts.

 

[letekro]

Re: LAST PLAY: Gaffney was held, NOT WATSON!

They both were held past the 5 yard limit. (NOT pass interferance like it sounds the Ravens were upset by)

You can't hold within the 5 yard limit either.