Saints celebrating their win with a game ball.

I think the refs were just terrible all around.

brdmaverick said:

100% Pats fan here but I can see why they would be a bit perturbed at the false start call AND the Jenkins hit on Edelman. I saw it as a guy just 'playing defense'. I actually think it's a shame that it IS a penalty.

At the same time, I think the Dobson offensive pass interference call was atrocious thought too. And that was a big play. So it went both ways.

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The false start-neutral zone infraction call was incorrect, but that was a chaotic play that never was. They basically guessed (incorrectly) whether or not Vellano crossed into the neutral zone because the Saints lineman jumped, then everyone was in each other's faces. That's one of those that all of us as home can see plainly, but when it happens at full speed, the refs really don't know, and they're guessing what probably happened. If there is that much confusion for any other penalty, they just let it go, but they had to make a call; it was just the wrong one. The one ref who seemed to be saying False Start would have never been able to tell that Vellano crossed from his angle either.

I think the first Jenkins hit was just a guy throwing himself into it, and his helmet happened to be involved. It's a penalty; that's just the way the league is nowadays. The Gregory hit was never a penalty, though I hold my breath every time there is a big collision with the current NFL rules.

Pass Interference is anyone's guess. Players try to gauge what the refs will call PI and what they won't. They call a minimal contact DPI on the Saints, and they basically called Dobson for not having his hands glued to his sides on that OPI. After that, anything went, just about.

PatsSox363804 said:

The only plays they have a legit complaint about are the no TO call and the false start. That said, they were up 4 points with 1:20 to go and couldn't close it out. Blaming the refs is convenient and a way to deflect blame from their own teams failures.

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Are you referring to their last drive when replays showed Brees trying to take time-out even as the ball was being snapped?

If yes, I wonder when should the ref be notified about a TO? I thought his gesture was way too late for the line ref to see it.

NYCPatsFan said:

Are you referring to their last drive when replays showed Brees trying to take time-out even as the ball was being snapped?

If yes, I wonder when should the ref be notified about a TO? I thought his gesture was way too late for the line ref to see it.

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It was the play Brees threw the interception on. He didn't get the TO then Graham got hurt and Brees still tried to loft the ball to him instead of getting rid of it.

PatsSox363804 said:

The only plays they have a legit complaint about are the no TO call and the false start. That said, they were up 4 points with 1:20 to go and couldn't close it out. Blaming the refs is convenient and a way to deflect blame from their own teams failures.

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The officiating was pretty bad all day - and impacted both sides. But officiating is never perfect.

Whichever team lost I think has a legitimate beef - but the Patriots were the team that decided they didn't wan to let it be decided by an official - and even when the officials are wrong - they're right.

brdmaverick said:

I think it was silly to celebrate the victory ONLY because the game was still somewhat in doubt. I actually wouldn't have a problem with them celebrating if it was clearly in their hands.

For instance, did posters here have an issue with the Celtics celebrating on the sidelines with a Gatorade bath during their 2008 clincher? I didn't have a problem with it just because the game was well in hand. Perhaps the fact that it was a championship clincher also helps.

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I agree. If the Pats had been down 11 I really don't think I would have faulted them for it.

DefenseRules said:

WOW, LOL, that's what they get for not playing 60 minutes.

2 minutes left in the game and they are celebrating.

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Right. there are no game balls for 58 minutes of play. Maybe they should take a page out of the Patriots notebook and go bury the ball.

JoeSixPat said:

The officiating was pretty bad all day - and impacted both sides. But officiating is never perfect.

Whichever team lost I think has a legitimate beef - but the Patriots were the team that decided they didn't wan to let it be decided by an official - and even when the officials are wrong - they're right.

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from my understanding of the rules, If a snap is imminent, and the defense has 12 people on the field its a penalty before the snap.

The fact that the saints got away with an offsetting hold which shouldn't matter because the play should be blown dead due to 12 men on the field.

There were a ton of calls this game that were wrong, or the refs swallows their whistles. it was an replacement ref quality reffed game.

I didn't see the game live, so I watched it on gamerewind last night knowing the outcome. That clip of the Saints celebrating with the ball on the sideline caused me to chuckle, as did Aikman going on about how this loss affects the Pats going forward. It wasn't until the Saints punted back to the Pats when the play-by-play guy surprisingly goes something like, "And how about this: Brady gets one more chance."...almost like 'whoda thunkit' that the Pats would get the ball back after the pick.

Regards,
Chris

chris_in_sunnyvale said:

, as did Aikman going on about how this loss affects the Pats going forward.

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Half the posters on this board were saying the same thing after the TB pick. Just sayin

PatsSox363804 said:

It was the play Brees threw the interception on. He didn't get the TO then Graham got hurt and Brees still tried to loft the ball to him instead of getting rid of it.

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That's the part that really matters. Yes, he should have been given the TO. But there was still an entire play after that.

A) If Graham catches that ball and runs it for a TD, how many Saints fans are complaining that he wasn't given the timeout?
B) Brees made a horrible decision by forcing that throw. There was no play there.

Not giving him the timeout is a small issue that would have been completely inconsequential if not for the fact that Brees followed it up with a rookie mistake.

BradyFTW! said:

That's the part that really matters. Yes, he should have been given the TO. But there was still an entire play after that.

A) If Graham catches that ball and runs it for a TD, how many Saints fans are complaining that he wasn't given the timeout?
B) Brees made a horrible decision by forcing that throw. There was no play there.

Not giving him the timeout is a small issue that would have been completely inconsequential if not for the fact that Brees followed it up with a rookie mistake.

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Of course but do you expect them to actually blame Drew Brees for something? Much easier to blame the officials and stick your head in the sand to your QB's dumb decision.

PatsSox363804 said:

It was the play Brees threw the interception on. He didn't get the TO then Graham got hurt and Brees still tried to loft the ball to him instead of getting rid of it.

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Thanks. I missed a good portion of the game (but not the final 4 minutes ) and so wasn't sure.

In any case, I am curious as to whether are there any minimums w.r.t the time before which one can ask a TO. A milli-second before the ball is snapped is going to make it impossible for any human watching the line to grant the TO, unless it is the coach asking for it right in front of the ref's face.

The game will be replayed on NFL Network Wed at 6 pm Pacific I believe (check your local listings to confirm). Those replays are good because they show more than just the game, they have the mics turned on and show sideline shots, etc.

bradydaman29 said:

The game will be replayed on NFL Network Wed at 6 pm Pacific I believe (check your local listings to confirm). Those replays are good because they show more than just the game, they have the mics turned on and show sideline shots, etc.

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I'll be setting the DVR for sure.

The lack of a timeout call wasn't a bad call. A timeout is not awarded when you make a timeout signal, it is awarded when a ref SEES you making a timeout signal and blows the whistle.

There is no guarantee your request will be seen and granted, EVER, unless you have told the ref beforehand. That's why you talk to the ref when your are planning one, so it will 100% be seen.

It's the risk you always take when you run the play clock down to the last second.

I had heard it mentioned but didn't actually watch the replay until now, but watch the Stills go ahead TD, clear as day that he pushed Dennard down with both hands and basically launches himself up to catch the pass but you don't see them pointing this one out in their ref conspiracy:

Kenny Stills pulls in amazing TD catch to give Saints late lead (GIF) - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 240+ Sites

I have to admit, I thought the refereeing was superb.

This crew is also one of the best crews.

What I liked most about them is that they didn't call ticky tack penalties on pass plays. Talib played it clean. And was rewarded. Jenkins on the other hand was mugging people out there. I can see why Dobson's OPI was called even if you usually never see that called. The defender ran right by him after Dobson extended his arms. It was also a good non-call when Stills went up over Dennard. If Stills has the foresight and touch to impede Dennard's jump without easily being noticed, it's a credit to him. The Amendola hit was a non-call for me, while they got the Thompkins penalty right. The holds were all actual holds.

Top to bottom I thought this crew was good.

The false start call was within an inch of not being a false start. 50/50 call at best.

upstater1 said:

I have to admit, I thought the refereeing was superb.

This crew is also one of the best crews.

What I liked most about them is that they didn't call ticky tack penalties on pass plays. Talib played it clean. And was rewarded. Jenkins on the other hand was mugging people out there. I can see why Dobson's OPI was called even if you usually never see that called. The defender ran right by him after Dobson extended his arms. It was also a good non-call when Stills went up over Dennard. If Stills has the foresight and touch to impede Dennard's jump without easily being noticed, it's a credit to him. The Amendola hit was a non-call for me, while they got the Thompkins penalty right. The holds were all actual holds.

Top to bottom I thought this crew was good.

The false start call was within an inch of not being a false start. 50/50 call at best.

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The false start was a bad call but we have the luxury of going back to look at it, the refs don't. People forget this when they show still frames and slo mo replays after the call.

Honestly I can't believe the amount of whining I'm hearing today about the lack of a holding call on the final play. I don't think we whined this much after the non holding call during the Superbowl in 07 and that may have cost of a friggin perfect season.

fnordcircle said:

Dear God. The schadenfreude.

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this gif actually cuts off the very best part, i found the full version