Ever seen a game officiated that poorly only for one side?

[BradyManny]

Looking back at that game, I still can't believe how bad the refeering was, it's a miracle we overcame it.

What bothers me about it is that all the bad calls were one-sided. That's a rare thing. Even when I felt we got jobbed in the AFCCG game last year, there were still a few calls that were at the very least debatable that went out way. Not yesterday, call after call and even in subtle and simpler moments (two refs staring at Moorehead's first foot land out of bounds, yet neither calls him out??), the refs were flat out bad and only in one direction.

I'm not positing a conspiracy theory. I think it has more to do with refs going with the home crowd and refs consistently giving Colts receivers calls they don't deserve, but that officiating was such a huge factor in that game, and the Pats really deserve props for overcoming it.

 

[Keegs]

I'm a young guy, but that was definitely the worst i have ever seen.

2nd is the Steelers game vs the Colts a couple years back
3rd is the AFCCG last year.

 

[chunkypony]

Broncos game is a close second for me.

 

[Keegs]

Broncos game is a close second for me.

oooo you're right..

damn... i think that's 4th on my list though... probably about even with the Squeelers superbowl.

 

[BradyManny]

Broncos game is a close second for me.

Broncos game was pretty ridic, but even then, I felt like there was a general incompetence all around in that game, officiating wise.

This really felt like the refs were actively screwing us. Again, I'm not pointing to a conspiracy, I'm just saying, their impotence was surprisingly and unprecedentedly one-sided.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Looking back at that game, I still can't believe how bad the refeering was, it's a miracle we overcame it.

What bothers me about it is that all the bad calls were one-sided. That's a rare thing. Even when I felt we got jobbed in the AFCCG game last year, there were still a few calls that were at the very least debatable that went out way. Not yesterday, call after call and even in subtle and simpler moments (two refs staring at Moorehead's first foot land out of bounds, yet neither calls him out??), the refs were flat out bad and only in one direction.

I'm not positing a conspiracy theory. I think it has more to do with refs going with the home crowd and refs consistently giving Colts receivers calls they don't deserve, but that officiating was such a huge factor in that game, and the Pats really deserve props for overcoming it.

Same happened to us when we played the Bears at Soldier Field-phantom calls on a Jason Witten block in the back(that negated a long Julius screen), a phantom PI call on TO call killed a TD drive, Rex got sacked on 4th down when there were still 4 seconds left on the clock, but the zebras were so anxious to get into halftime that they somehow forget to stop the clock, a phantom hold call on Flozell that would have put a Julius run 1st and goal at the 2, etc.

Even Peter King talked about it.

 

[Gumby]

I voted No; but that is only because the

Squeelers vs Dolts
And the Seahawks vs Squeelers 2 years ago were equally pathetic and laughable ref jobs. And those were in playoffs with supposedly 'creme de la creme' officiating.

At least in the NFL's defense they could claim this crew is just a bunch of regular season ninnys.

But I think they have to seriously investigate some of those guys for betting against the point spread. Probably put all the money in vegas under their wife's name - so nobody would figure it out.

 

[djmika760]

Yeah for the squeelers in SB XL. That was horrible!!!

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

What bothers me about it is that all the bad calls were one-sided.

I don't think I'd got that far. I thought the pushout call on Stallworth was a big call that went in our favor that didn't have to. I saw one hold by the patriots O-line that wasn't called, and looked somewhat obvious to me.

I thought many of the big yardage penalties were correct. The leg whip was clear. The spiking of the ball delay of game was clear. The blocking out of bounds was clear. They never showed a replay of the personal foul after the interception, but Light didn't seem to be arguing. At the time I thought the Samuel pass interference call was borderline, but there's a picture in the boston globe that shows they got it right. And, as a matter of fact, the refs made the same exact call on the Randy Moss 55-yard catch -- it was tough to see at first but it was the same kind of contact. (Didn't need the penalty, though, because we got the first down.) The block in the back on the return was also clear -- I saw it before I saw the flag.

In going back through the game, I really think there were only two horrible calls. First was the PI on Hobbs. Second was the OPI on Moss. Those were just atrocious. Happily, they didn't affect the outcome. We got a TD and held the Colts to a field goal. They COULD have made a 10-14 point difference, and if they did, it would have been a shame. So I think given what might have been, these were bad calls and the crew should take the heat. But that doesn't make it the worst game in history.

Really, all this griping about the calls seems to me to be about two plays. Sure, there was a bad spot in there too, but I don't put that in the same category. That's in the goes-both-ways category of stuff that happens over the course of 60 minutes.

Bottom line is that the yardage disparity looks bad, but we earned about 80 to 90 yards of our penalties, and the Colts actually got called for a 50 yard penalty that we didn't have to accept because Moss overcame the penalty and caught the ball.

On the botched play on the sideline, it looks like the back judge knew his partner was wrong, and even asked him if he was sure, but the line judge stuck with his call. It was reversed on replay. That's what replay is for.

 

[indycolts685]

I have it was the AFCCG in 2003

 

[reflexblue]

The only one worse I can remember involving the Pats was the '76 AFCCG against the Raiders. The Ben Dryth game. For which he was banned from ever officiating another Pats game.

 

[Joker]

The Ben Dreith fiasco has ALWAYS been the benchmark for bias. After yesterday, however,that has to share first place with this Indy fiasco.

 

[reflexblue]

The Ben Dreith fiasco has ALWAYS been the benchmark for bias. After yesterday, however,that has to share first place with this Indy fiasco.

After the game yesterday I posted that ref. 136 must have been the SON OF BEN DRYTH and that it was just as bad as '76. But that was for the chance to hammer the Vikings in the SB,a more important game that yesterday.

 

[Joker]

I read an interview with Ben Dreith given five years ago...defiant as ever and his hatred for the Northeast still as blatant. In essence he admitted "yeah, I screwed the Patriots...and if I had the chance I'd screw them again"

the interview is still online somewhere...google it if you want a good laugh

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I'm usually one to immediately say STFU on these things. They even out in the end. Yadda yadda yadda.

So: either I'm becoming paranoid, or this week's officiating is different. I found myself watching the game and thinking "this must be intentional. No other explanation."

Whether intentional or not, we had to overcome the refs and the Colts as well, in their home dome, with the usual Polian shennanigans abounding. The Pats had to play their game, and disregard that, these many years AFTER the "point of emphasis" Polian foisted on the league, Colts DBs can anally rape our receivers, give them a reacharound, AND get the offensive pass interference flag. At the very least, the word was out: when the Pats are on offense, at least, we'll "let 'em play."

So there are two possibilities: one is incompetence, in which case "these things even out," eventually. But there is no guarantee we won't deal with the same odds in the playoffs or the Championship game (I'm not sure any ref on earth has the power to give the SB to an NFC team.)

And if this is intentional -- the James Caan "Rollerball" scenario -- that means we will see this and worse in the post-season.

So, here is the world we are living in: We have to be good enough to beat the best out there, and the Refs, for the duration of this season, especially in the playoffs/AFCCG/Super Bowl.

Regardless of the cause of this state of affair, I am sure some version of this will be hammered home prior to the Buffalo game: Do NOT go flat when a few of these happen. You have to overcome whatever obstacle you encounter. Biased refs, ice, 90 degree domes, the flu, whatever. There is no "woulda coulda shoulda" trophy. We have the talent, we have to maintain the will.

Regardless.

PFnV

 

[Joker]

Only one solution...make sure the Coleman crew works EVERY game the Patriots ever play the Colts in again. Maybe that will drive Polianstopheles to cut his head off.

 

[Pats726]

The worst??? NO...the Super Bowl of 2 years ago...Hawks/Steelers was far worse...That was really putrid...but the Steelers/Colts was close to that..granted the benchmark was Ben Dreith's 76 call...on Suger Bear....teh Super Bowl was the Toilet Bowl of all poorly officiated games... close... What is amazing is so many people watched it and saw how emvarrassing the officials were..

 

[Keegs]

So there are two possibilities: one is incompetence, in which case "these things even out," eventually. But there is no guarantee we won't deal with the same odds in the playoffs or the Championship game (I'm not sure any ref on earth has the power to give the SB to an NFC team.)

that isn't a possibility.

That is 2 games in a row where indy got every call and we had to hope and pray that our first downs weren't called back on bogus holding penalties.

They were so horrible.

if it was incompetence, at least 1 or 2 calls would go in the pats favor.

 

[stinkypete]

I want to add a 4th option: "This was the worst officiating since the LAST Colts game." It seems the calls get worse and worse every time these two teams meet.

 

[BradyManny]

I'm usually one to immediately say STFU on these things. They even out in the end. Yadda yadda yadda.

So: either I'm becoming paranoid, or this week's officiating is different. I found myself watching the game and thinking "this must be intentional. No other explanation."

That's my feelings. I don't think it was intentional (other than the aforementioned home-crowd and Colts receiver advantages). But it was just so remarkably one-sided that you were left with a feeling of "no set of refs can be this bad only for one team." It was mind-boggling.