Referee Ed Hochuli

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

I usually like Ed..but I do know this..the Packers got a way with A TON of holding by that O line.

Yeah, the play that sticks out in my mind on that is play where that Fullback of theirs (Coons/Coombs?) went into the endzone and then splayed out on the ground. And the whole time I'm just starin at the huge hold that the Pack's O-line got away with.

No excuses, the Pats played sloppy football and deserved to have it be that close.

I personally was wondering what the heck the Odds makers were smoking when they put the pack at -14. Obviously they were tryin to get people to bet on them but I mean they were comin off a rough performance goin in to the house of the best team in Football, so you knew they were gonna be pumped and jacked up. Their QB had a full week of practice this week as opposed to last week where he just got thrown in. Spikes bein out along with injuries on the D-Line allowed them to gash us in the run game, and the Pack D isn't exactly a slouch at the worst of times for them.

Not to mention Merriweather was on the field. Him takin out McCourty on that long TD play was awful. I mean I like the kid but if he can't get the job done, and even worse if he takes out HIS OWN GUY he needs to be given the hook or at least given help.

 

[Bostonian1962]

One NON-call, that really helped us was on Connelly's return. Right near the end of it, you see a Patriot player drive into the kickers back with both hands, and send him flying. It EASILY could have (should have?) been called a block in the back.

 

[groundgame]

..."Illegal contact, defense 5 yard penalty, the defender's left and right hands both tangled more than five yards from the line of scrimmage with the receiver such that it sufficiently impeded his ability to run a clear route. We cannot say for certainty that the infraction happened more than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, but we can say with a high degree of confidence that it was less than seven yard but more than 5 yards. By giving you all this useless information I trust you will think I am a very good viewer-friendly referee".......

 

[tobias funke]

The call that bothered me the most was on McCourty's hit. I believe it was worthy of a call, but I don't believe the officials saw it live, and needed to use the replay board to get a good look at it.

My understanding is that this is not allowed, so I don't understand why the call was made.

Someone pointed out that the Pats probably got away with a deep DPI call, and a block in the back on Connolly's return. All in all, I'd say the officials did a generally poor job for both teams, although the Pats did not do themselves any favors in this area.

I don't think any of it compared to how bad Mike Carey did in Indy, though. After shoving his flag into his jockstrap in 2007, it's funny to see him work so hard to 'get the call right' aka hand the game to the Colts on a call that would have been a simple 'fair catch interference' against any other team. Not to mention giving Jax 5 downs on their early FG drive.

 

[tobias funke]

Apparently, PFT agrees:

If that’s what Hochuli did, he committed a blatant violation of the rules regarding the use of replay, even if the ultimate decision to penalize McCourty was the right decision. The decision should have been made based on the live action, not based on replay review.

 

[Synovia]

The call that bothered me the most was on McCourty's hit. I believe it was worthy of a call, but I don't believe the officials saw it live, and needed to use the replay board to get a good look at it.

My understanding is that this is not allowed, so I don't understand why the call was made.

I've heard a lot of people on this board make that claim, but no one has yet to post any actual evidence that its not allowed. I don't see anything in the rulebook forbidding it.

 

[Hoodie]

Thought Hochuli was playing to Goodell, rather than reffing the game.. too many delays before calls were made, felt he was indecisive...

Usually like him, but last night he and his crew missed a lot of Green Bay penalties and overcalled penalties on the Pats...

Absolutely. It was disgusting. Is it possible to bar the Commidiot from any future Patriot games?

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Before Sunday, the Packers were the most penalized team in the NFL.

They had 2/15 on Sunday.

Weird game

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I've heard a lot of people on this board make that claim, but no one has yet to post any actual evidence that its not allowed. I don't see anything in the rulebook forbidding it.

It can't possibly be permissible for the refs to use the big screen to assist a call. I don't have an NFL rulebook, and I can't say for sure, but that would be very surprising. You have all these deeply formalized rules about the kind of plays for which replay can be used -- a judgment call about helmet to helmet is certainly not one. (In other words, no coach could challenge that call and get video replay.) To permit use of the big board for video review of a call that you can't go under the hood for would strike me as bizarre to say the least.

My guess is that there is, somewhere, something that says you can never use in-stadium replay to assist with any call ever. It would make a mockery of the whole highly-formalized under the hood process. But even if I were wrong about that, to permit in-stadium replay for a call that cannot be reviewed under the hood would just be silly.

 

[Patspsycho]

Hochuli is getting it on PFT:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/20/report-hochuli-relied-on-videoboard-to-throw-flag/

Hopefully he'll get canned.

 

[LiveShot]

Hochuli is like most ego maniacal officials in all sports, he thinks the fans come to watch him. He should switch to baseball where he'd fit right in. The officiating in last night game was lopsided in favor of the Cheesheads but the best team won in spite of them.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

I have never thought badly of Hoculi and his crew....until last night. His crew did a terrible job of calling a balanced game.

My other thought for the night, was that there were several instances of when the Packers would call for a flag...well after the play ended..and get one.

Lucky we won last night...booing the refs usually isn't going to win you any favors.

 

[reflexblue]

I have never thought badly of Hoculi and his crew....until last night. His crew did a terrible job of calling a balanced game.

My other thought for the night, was that there were several instances of when the Packers would call for a flag...well after the play ended..and get one.

Lucky we won last night...booing the refs usually isn't going to win you any favors.

Years ago i thought he was a good official, but that has changed over the last 5-6 years.

 

[jcdavey]

i been tellin y'all about ed ever since that BS he pulled in the chargers/broncos game in 08

dude went rogue back then, he's been a complete joke ever since

 

[BradyFTW!]

I see the McCourty penalty the same way I see the tuck rule: it was the technically correct call, but a stupid rule in the first place. The fact that he used the jumbotron to make the call, though, is ridiculous and clearly against the rules. At this point, I hope the guy gets fired; he's been awful for years now. It seems like every time a spectacularly blown call makes the news, it's on him.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Does anyone have the videoand can post?

 

[Sciz]

I'm really hoping this game is iTunes' NFL Game of the Week. If so, I should be able to arrange that.

 

[jmt57]

Even though Hochuli should not have been using the replay on the big screen to make his belated decision to throw the flag, what about the replay operator? Why replay that hit? Perhaps he didn't think Hochuli would use the replay to call the penalty, but replaying the hit in slow motion if nothing else gives McCarthy and the Packer coaches a chance to see it and throw the challenge flag.

 

[Nikolai]

Even though Hochuli should not have been using the replay on the big screen to make his belated decision to throw the flag, what about the replay operator? Why replay that hit? Perhaps he didn't think Hochuli would use the replay to call the penalty, but replaying the hit in slow motion if nothing else gives McCarthy and the Packer coaches a chance to see it and throw the challenge flag.

I don't think you can throw a challenge on a penalty that wasn't called. It was dumb of the replay operator to put the hit up there, but Hochuli definitely acted in bad faith and with poor judgment by using the jumbotron.

 

[patsfan2007]

He need's to retire, such a looser.