Cundiff, other Raven players claim the Pats scoreboard erred on final drive.

[PatsSox363804]

Ah you just have to love the media, right? What did the down markers on the field say? I mean Christ do they honestly think that Belichick instructed the scoreboard operator to screw with the downs on the scoreboard because that's what they're implying. It seems more likely that the guy thought it was a first down and screwed up or he doesnt know that you cant fumble a ball forward for a first down.

 

[UK_Pat37]

There's no excuse for not knowing the down. There are two scoreboards, a down marker on their side of the field and the referee's hand signal.

A special teams coach should be signalling over to Cundiff on 3rd down to say 'get ready to go on the field if this isn't converted'.

As previously said, there always seems to be an excuse with this team....it reflects their coach. He has a very good football brain but his character is questionable. It reflects in his QB and how he lets his players run their mouths too much.

Credit to Suggs though...I barely heard a peep from him all week.

 

[groganbootleg]

And one more goddam thing. You're telling me they were looking at a film that showed the play, then panned up to show the down and distance on the scoreboard? That doesn't sound like film you get from a fixed location enclosed on three sides. Where'd that get that tape?

PFnV

From the Deadspin article this morning

Ravens P.R. director Kevin Byrne told me—and Cundiff later learned—that team officials watched the All-22 video of the game on Monday and confirmed the scoreboard malfunction.

Its complete nonsense and they should have simply used one of the TWO timeouts they had.

 

[goheels22002]

Maybe the Baltimore Ravens should sign a kicker who can count to four.

 

[IllegalContact]

I will bet you that no patriots player depends on the scoreboard for this kind of info........keep track of the down, and know where the stick is in regards to the chain

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

It makes no sense for the following reason:

The Ravens had only 9 seconds left and one timeout. If it had been 3rd down instead of 4th down, a perfectly reasonable strategy would be to attempt the kick on 3rd down anyway. Then if there were a bad snap or a bad hold, ala Tony Romo in the playoffs a few years ago, you can have the holder take an knee, use the last timeout, and try to kick again.

Thus the kicker should be equally ready to kick whether he thinks it is 3rd down or 4th down, and seeing 3rd down on the scoreboard should not make him less prepared, even a little bit.

The bad thing about stupid allegations like this is that gullible fans will eat it up and assume that it's true and sinister, even if it did not even happen at all. I live in Dolphins territory, and I can't tell you how often I hear Dolphins fans state (as if it were fact) that the Patriots were punished in 2007 for taping opponent's practices. I tell them that, no, the made-up allegations of taping practice were 4 months or so after the spygate allegations, coming out days before the Super Bowl, were totally disproven based upon the first-hand account of the supposed witness, were retracted after the Super Bowl, and that "spygate" was only about using a camera out in the open, during a game, on the sidelines, and pointed at coaches giving signals.

They look at me like I am claiming to have been abducted by aliens, and say "They got a huge fine and lost a draft pick for taping practices, dude!" I usually give up even trying to make them aware of actual facts.

Facts seem not to matter when allegations start flying, no matter how stupid the allegations.

 

[FalconHeavy]

It makes no sense for the following reason:


They look at me like I am claiming to have been abducted by aliens, and say "They got a huge fine and lost a draft pick for taping practices, dude!" I usually give up even trying to make them aware of actual facts.

Facts seem not to matter when allegations start flying, no matter how stupid the allegations.

This is where Roger Poodle screwed us royally. I have faced the same difficulty driving home my point, as if it matters anymore , but every one slams this fact on your face and ask "if it is just a rule infraction, why such a big punishment?"

anywho, these days I relish by retorting that "we will do what ever it takes to win, so choke on it and go cry to the league"

I will not be surprised, if BSPN tries to stir the pot 1 or 2 days before the super bowl like they did last time. Hope our players are well prepared for this one

 

[Sivy]

Y'all remember last year against the jets, when the pats were down by a couple scores, yet they took their sweet time with like a 10 minute drive? Well, the Ravens not calling that time out is right up there with things that make no sense in football.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Y'all remember last year against the jets, when the pats were down by a couple scores, yet they took their sweet time with like a 10 minute drive? Well, the Ravens not calling that time out is right up there with things that make no sense in football.

That and not giving the ball to Ray Rice on two chances starting with second and one at the 14, with two timeouts and a chance at the SUper Bowl on the line.

On topic: The only one who seemed confused was the kicker — who should have been focused entirely on practicing his kicks. The coaches and rest of the kicking unit all seemed to come out promptly, IIRC.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Just one more level of the complete nonsense of this:

How come Sterling Moore wasn't confused by any of this, or anybody else on the Pats' defense?

Since it has no bearing once the FG team is on the field, what is the exact complaint?

Isn't the defense similarly "confused" by the scoreboard being off?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

That's why there are time outs. Use one to settle down and avoid being rushed.

That said, the real scandal can now be revealed. Remember how Kraft had that MHK C-5 fly over the field pre-game? Stay with me now and I, an engineer, will explain. BB reads academic papers on statistics and such. to determine his tactics like 4th down expectancy, etc. Belichick had Kraft enlist a cadre of local aeronautical engineers from MIT in a project. They analyzed the geometry of Gillette Stadium. First using Fourier analysis and Bernoulli principal equations on their networked high end workstations, they next entered real time data on temperature and humidity et.al. and came up with a PhD worthy simulation that directed the precise flight path of the aircraft such that it created an oscillating standing wave in the atmosphere, one strong enough to influence FGs. Of course BB had the printout and was able to direct the Gost just how to place his kicks in the wave troughs to avoid misdirection. The Ravens kicked into a standing wave peak which was forceful enough to deflect the kick. Fortunately the other team's fanboys have left this site and will never know.

 

[GaryfromTO]

While were discussing moot issues.......

The Ravens shouldn't even have been playing the AFC championship game, let alone the playoffs.

You see the Ravens are not really the Ravens. They are the transplanted Cleveland Browns organization.

The Cleveland Browns did not qualify for the playoffs in 2011, so why were the Browns (incognito). even at Gilette in the first place.

Note, the above explanation makes about as much sense as the Ravens claim of the scoreboard affecting the outcome.

Ravens, ugly team, ugly uniforms, ugly city. Kharma's a ***** isn't it.

 

[PatsDeb]

While were discussing moot issues.......

The Ravens shouldn't even have been playing the AFC championship game, let alone the playoffs.

You see the Ravens are not really the Ravens. They are the transplanted Cleveland Browns organization.

The Cleveland Browns did not qualify for the playoffs in 2011, so why were the Browns (incognito). even at Gilette in the first place.

Note, the above explanation makes about as much sense as the Ravens claim of the scoreboard affecting the outcome.

Ravens, ugly team, ugly uniforms, ugly city. Kharma's a ***** isn't it.

If they want to think about karma, I think the moment that did it was Bernard Pollard intentionally twisting Gronk's legs and trying to hurt him. The Football Gods had had enough and said, "You gonna mess with their legs? We gonna mess with yours." That's the real reason the Ravens lost.

 

[GaryfromTO]

or maybe when Lewis tried to fold Brady's back into a new shape on the touchdown plunge.

 

[PatsFan2]

Dag Burn it now our Championship is going to be tainted.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Looking at the replay, I think the only one who was confused was Cundiff. I think all the players on the field knew it was 4th down, and so did the coaches. After the third down play, there is only a slight pause, and then Nantz says, "and the field goal unit is coming on to the field." But Cundiff apparently didn't come on with them. He comes running out with about 17 seconds left and gets to the spot with about 12.

So, I think it's legitimate that the scoreboard mistake confused Cundiff. He might have looked up and been confused, since he's concentrating on his practice kicking. Also, while coaches are supposed to get him ready, you also generally leave a kicker alone in that circumstance. In fact, I not only think this story is plausible, but it explains why he came out to the field late.

I think most of the points being raised in this thread are good ones -- that they had a time out and also that 17 seconds is plenty of time for a kicker to make a chippie. Still, I think there's a bit of a gripe here. But in the end, he missed it and that's that. I don't think there was malice on anyone's part. It was just a weird series of events, started by the fact that the fumble doesn't advance. A mini-break for us. That's football, and I have no problem admitting it.

One issue that nobody is talking about is whether the clock should have kept running after the Boldin fumble. Even though the fumble can't be advanced, I don't understand why they didn't stop the clock, since it went out of bounds. The refs were confused -- they were acting so carefully to mark the ball at the spot of the fumble, I didn't see either give a wind the clock or stop the clock signal. I think the result was correct -- since the fumble can't advance, I guess the play is over in bounds and the clock properly kept going. I thought it was interesting though. There was clearly referee confusion there. Typically, it's the job of the R to signal down, and the scoreboard operator does nothing but watch the R to decide what to put up. He's not looking at the chains or the monitor or any of it. You can't see Riveron on the tv replay, but it would be interesting to see the all angles camera.

 

[patchick]

What utter silliness. If they weren't ready to kick a field goal, FOR ANY REASON, they would have taken a timeout. End of story.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Dag Burn it now our Championship is going to be tainted.

Championship* you mean
Yanno what woulda been a great FU? If we'd won in SB 42, and they designed the rings to have the diamonds shaped as an asterisk

 

[Seacoast Fan]

Looking at the replay, I think the only one who was confused was Cundiff. I think all the players on the field knew it was 4th down, and so did the coaches. After the third down play, there is only a slight pause, and then Nantz says, "and the field goal unit is coming on to the field." But Cundiff apparently didn't come on with them. He comes running out with about 17 seconds left and gets to the spot with about 12.

So, I think it's legitimate that the scoreboard mistake confused Cundiff. He might have looked up and been confused, since he's concentrating on his practice kicking. Also, while coaches are supposed to get him ready, you also generally leave a kicker alone in that circumstance. In fact, I not only think this story is plausible, but it explains why he came out to the field late.

I think most of the points being raised in this thread are good ones -- that they had a time out and also that 17 seconds is plenty of time for a kicker to make a chippie. Still, I think there's a bit of a gripe here. But in the end, he missed it and that's that. I don't think there was malice on anyone's part. It was just a weird series of events, started by the fact that the fumble doesn't advance. A mini-break for us. That's football, and I have no problem admitting it.

One issue that nobody is talking about is whether the clock should have kept running after the Boldin fumble. Even though the fumble can't be advanced, I don't understand why they didn't stop the clock, since it went out of bounds. The refs were confused -- they were acting so carefully to mark the ball at the spot of the fumble, I didn't see either give a wind the clock or stop the clock signal. I think the result was correct -- since the fumble can't advance, I guess the play is over in bounds and the clock properly kept going. I thought it was interesting though. There was clearly referee confusion there. Typically, it's the job of the R to signal down, and the scoreboard operator does nothing but watch the R to decide what to put up. He's not looking at the chains or the monitor or any of it. You can't see Riveron on the tv replay, but it would be interesting to see the all angles camera.

I understand what you are saying, but if all of the other Raven players and coaches knew what down it was, along with the refs, announcers, and everyone else in the stadium, then the problem is on Cundiff and/or the ST coaches, not the scoreboard operator.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I understand what you are saying, but if all of the other Raven players and coaches knew what down it was, along with the refs, announcers, and everyone else in the stadium, then the problem is on Cundiff and/or the ST coaches, not the scoreboard operator.

I think we can all agree that the scoreboard operator should always try to be right. He wasn't here, and that's unfortunate, but for the reasons every one else has noted, it's a minor thing not a major one.

The ultimate point, to me, is that the scoreboard operator didn't jerk the kick left.