Pass Interference / Non PI in Dallas - Detroit playoff game

[SacPete1]

Clearly the lack of communication was botched on this play but the silver lining is that this may be the play that alters the replay rule and hopefully allows for every play to be subject to a coach's challenge (maximum 2).

What's interesting about this play and I have heard some posters argue this point is the receiver appeared to grab the defender's face mask which brings up an interesting scenario.

Let's assume for a moment that after this play was called (non called), Detroit issues a challenge and that challenge is specifically that there was PI on the play. They review the play and they determine that there was in fact PI. Can Dallas then challenge that there was facemasking on the Lion and this resulting in offsetting infractions? I believe they should be allowed this opportunity assuming of course they still have 1 challenge remaining.
But what if the play happens in the final 2 minutes and under current rules, all plays are reviewable. Does the league look at the entire play and every facet of it? What if they saw holding by an Olinemen? How long would it take to review the entire play?

I don't like the idea of the league deciding to review plays in the final 2 minutes where they see fit. Limit this to possession or scoring plays only so no league review for a close completion/incompletion. This would need to be initiated by a team.

More than anything, having an opportunity to review the play and explain to the audience what the decision is gives the league a chance to get it right. What's making things even worse for the league now is the network has a former official who often calls it differently (like yesterday) based on viewing the replay which further magnifies the controversy and frankly undermines the credibility of the on field officials and unfairly so since they don't have the benefit of replay.

I don't think there is a perfect resolution to this but surely there is an opportunity to discuss and consider a modification of the current rule.

 

[SalemPats]

The picked up flag wasa travesty. The referreeing in that game was brutal, one of the worst i have seen.

I'm not a fan of replay for PI, it will slow the game down and will cause more chaos/discussion than we need

 

[Skree]

IMO the NFL needs to simplify the rules. Every successful play now has a breath holding pause by fans, players, and announcers while they check for flags. It's wearisome to watch.

 

[chasa]

I feel like that play could have gone either way, however once you throw the flag unless it was clear that it wasn't interference you don't pick it up, and like i said it could have gone either way so picking the flag up was ********.

 

[Spiral]

Anyone else think this play was similar to the non-call against the Panthers last year?

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Anyone else think this play was similar to the non-call against the Panthers last year?

Yup. Did anyone notice Dez Bryant run on the field to the hash marks without his helmet to yell at the ref??? Isn't that supposed to be a 15 yd Unsportsmanlike conduct penalty????

 

[yukon cornelius]

IMHO the flag should never have been thrown - Pettigrew initiated the contact, and faceguarding is allowed without contact.....you could try and make the case that there was contact with the receiver AFTER Pettigrew reached out and pushed off/grabbed the mask......but the ball was soooo poorly underthrown, it is hard to say it mattered....

With the way they've been letting DB's/WR's get physical in the playoffs so far, I would have been AOK with a non-call

Slay got away with a lot of hand fighting/contact on the ball that was not caught in the end zone on the same drive (I think they scored the next play?).....and I was ok with that non-call, too



easiest out would have been for them to announce that there were TWO fouls on the play......OPI/Facemask on Pettigrew AND DPI.....offset, replay


of course they were gutless and punted on 4th & 1 and still didn't make plays to win the game long after this "call", so a lot of the Detroit whining is just pent up frustration


they need to call more OPI, the way it is skewed against the DB is ludicrous......I agree they blew the play by NOT explaining the call/picking up the flag....but IMHO it never should have been thrown.....but I like the way they have been letting DB's play so far, and I hope it continues throughout the playoffs


this call/non-call did NOT decide the game

 

[Ring 6]

Anyone else think this play was similar to the non-call against the Panthers last year?

Not really. On this play the receiver was never impeded, the defender just happened to be in the way. Gronk was shoved out of the play.

 

[Ring 6]

The key consideration is did the defender gain an advantage, and no he did not. The receiver never came back to the ball, so the defender never impeded him. The fact that he was not playing the ball only matters if he gains an advantage on the play through interfering. He didn't. Essentially he stood in the way and let the QB throw a poor pass that the receiver never adjusted to. The way he played it SHOULD have resulted in PI but the actions of the QB and Receiver basically kept them from taking advantage of a penalty waiting to happen.
Since it wasn't PI, I'm good with them picking it up. However, they should never pick it up on judgment only on comparing views from different angles. Not sure which happened here.

 

[Oswlek]

Anyone else think this play was similar to the non-call against the Panthers last year?

Not really. A flag being picked up is comparable, of course, but not the plays or the defensive contact.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Not really. On this play the receiver was never impeded, the defender just happened to be in the way. Gronk was shoved out of the play.

I think it was similar in that you had two plays where there was a flag thrown for Pass interference (which to me means that an official saw enough to deem that the receiver was interfered with) and we had another official seemingly come in and overrule the official who saw an infraction. What made this worse for me was that they already made the call then went back and said never mind. The foul wasn't nearly as egregious as the one Keuchly committed but the manner in which it was handled was equally terrible. Once again a lack of transparency is to me whats most concerning. Why do officials get to huddle up and discuss anything without anybody getting to listen in. I love it when they try and push the players away to discuss in private like anything they are discussing needs to be done so without the listening ear of an outside party.

 

[Peachhead]

Da Lions got robbed.

 

[Haley]

The only thing I really disliked about this was changing the call after it was announced. I think that shows pretty poor quality refing. Given that there was contact from both players, I find it hard to see the actual call on this as clear cut as some. Overall, I didn't find the refing in this game anywhere near as questionable as the pats-bengals game where I was wholly unable to see even a glimmer of penalty in many of those calls.

 

[Ring 6]

I think it was similar in that you had two plays where there was a flag thrown for Pass interference (which to me means that an official saw enough to deem that the receiver was interfered with) and we had another official seemingly come in and overrule the official who saw an infraction. What made this worse for me was that they already made the call then went back and said never mind. The foul wasn't nearly as egregious as the one Keuchly committed but the manner in which it was handled was equally terrible. Once again a lack of transparency is to me whats most concerning. Why do officials get to huddle up and discuss anything without anybody getting to listen in. I love it when they try and push the players away to discuss in private like anything they are discussing needs to be done so without the listening ear of an outside party.

I'd rather they got it right than feel they can't pick it up.
Wrong call in Carolina, right one here.
Not sure it would be productive to let players in a referee huddle.

 

[dales804]

Where's Dean Blandino to explain how it was the right call/move/procedure/etc.?

 

[reflexblue]

IMO the NFL needs to simplify the rules. Every successful play now has a breath holding pause by fans, players, and announcers while they check for flags. It's wearisome to watch.

To me that one was pretty obvious, ive seen that called PI a hundred times, probably more. Hitchens never looked back for the ball, while running into Pettigrew. But that being said the rules do need to be simplified especially roughing the QB, and personal fouls for hitting a player to hard. There was one of those yesterday in the Boys/lions game. A detroit player was called for a personal foul for hitting a dallas receiver. My wife (who doesn't watch football) said "why did they call a foul on him for, he just hit the other player, isn't that what hes suposse to do" i had to explain to her that in todays nfl you can't hit another player to hard. She replied "but thats one of the points of the game, hitting opposing players hard" I couldn't disagree, shes right.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Where's Dean Blandino to explain how it was the right call/move/procedure/etc.?

Blandino came out and said it was PI and the officials made the wrong call in picking it up.

I'd rather they got it right than feel they can't pick it up.
Wrong call in Carolina, right one here.
Not sure it would be productive to let players in a referee huddle.

To me this sets a dangerous precedent moving foreword. Where was this when Browner legally de-cleated Malcolm Floyd? A common theme with these types of calls is that they go in favor of the home crowd (GB-Seattle, Pats-Jets/Panthers, the Brees hit in New Orleans and the Wilson hit in Seattle going against SF. Here we have a controversial call go against a home team and after the call is announced and replays are shown throughout the stadium the officials want to pick it up and change their mind.

 

[Big-T]

At full speed I thought it was face guarding so a good no call (the ref stated after the game that the head linesman said it was face guarding, it was the back judge who thought it was PI). Morelli obviously thought the linesman had a better view than the back judge so went with his call, he then accepted he should have handled the situation better from there.

With the benefit of replay however, you'd have to say 2 fouls on the play so they offset BUT after the play you have a personal foul on Dez Bryant, which obviously gives the Lions a first down.

 

[Ring 6]

Blandino came out and said it was PI and the officials made the wrong call in picking it up.



To me this sets a dangerous precedent moving foreword. Where was this when Browner legally de-cleated Malcolm Floyd? A common theme with these types of calls is that they go in favor of the home crowd (GB-Seattle, Pats-Jets/Panthers, the Brees hit in New Orleans and the Wilson hit in Seattle going against SF. Here we have a controversial call go against a home team and after the call is announced and replays are shown throughout the stadium the officials want to pick it up and change their mind.

I think refs are honest operate with integrity and just try to get it right. And they are human and they make mistakes.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

I don't get the "all star" process when it comes to selecting individual officials for playoff games. Like most "all star" assemblies that we see in sports games, they don't work well, especially in short order.