The mugging

[FrontSeven]

I don't think I've ever seen a more blatant mugging than what the Ravens were allowed to put on the Patriots Sunday. Perhaps the 2003 AFCCG was a pretty good mugging of the Colts' receivers but that was before the rules changed. Now the 5 yard chuck rule should be enforced pretty evenly, but I must say that the officials had a hard time keeping up with the end-to-end assault the Ravens put on our receivers.

They got away with so much of it that they actually felt betrayed when they got caught tackling Watson in the end zone. Of all the idiot complaints I've seen, that stands out as the biggest. They got away with murder most of the night, and when they finally got caught they had the nerve to complain?

The only thing I'll say on their behalf is that the officials called it so loose for the Ravens all night that I think the Ravens expected them to let it go again. In that context their complaining makes some sense. Now they're pissed off because the rules seemed to change on the fly.

Well, maybe. My take is that the officials might have been overwhelmed by the fact that there was so much crap happening out there, and they did, in fact, decide that they couldn't call it close or there would be no game. Well, this is what you have to do though. You have to put a stop to it earlier in the game. You don't let it run out of control. There was something out of control going on out there. The Ravens just assumed, perhaps, that it would continue like that into the end zone on Watson.

But wait a minute guys, all eyes are on the end zone in that situation. All cameras catch that flagrant hold and tackle of the receiver. How the hell do you expect the officials to cover your asses on something that blatant? No matter what they let you get away with before, they cannot let you get away with that with all eyes on it. Watch the replay and tell me that you think the officials could let that go. That was the game winner and they just knocked him down.

My take: The Ravens miscalculated what they could get away with at the end, and they really didn't have the coverage to do otherwise. I think they knew it too. They were plain beaten on the Watson hold, and they knew they were beaten. They knew it was game over and they just went looking to put the blame on somebody else.

The officials were dealing with mob conditions on the field and I'm amazed that there weren't any fights, or fans throwing things. That was as close to mob scene as you get in the NFL. If the Pats had been the Titans it would have ended in a brawl with some fans getting killed. The Ravens should shut the hell up because they were out of control and the Patriots saved that situation from melting down into chaos.

 

[ClevTrev]

It was a football game, not a mugging. They missed some, they called some. The Patriots won. It's over. Anything after the fact is after the fact. The Pats know they must adapt to however a game is played and called. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

My take is that the officials might have been overwhelmed by the fact that there was so much crap happening out there, and they did, in fact, decide that they couldn't call it close or there would be no game. Well, this is what you have to do though. You have to put a stop to it earlier in the game. You don't let it run out of control. There was something out of control going on out there. The Ravens just assumed, perhaps, that it would continue like that into the end zone on Watson.

The refs should have flagged the holding early. The Ravens would have backed off out of necessity. Instead the refs let the rough stuff occur and by then it was too late.

I'm curious to see what happens against Pittsburgh. Will the refs/league look at the MNF film and decide to make a concerted effort to avoid further mugging of Moss & Welker? Maybe the Ravens game was the best thing to happen to the Pats because now the refs have seen film of how much crap they were letting go and will not allow future opponents to do the same.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Bostonian1962]

I don't think I've ever seen a more blatant mugging than what the Ravens were allowed to put on the Patriots Sunday. Perhaps the 2003 AFCCG was a pretty good mugging of the Colts' receivers but that was before the rules changed. Now the 5 yard chuck rule should be enforced pretty evenly, but I must say that the officials had a hard time keeping up with the end-to-end assault the Ravens put on our receivers.

They got away with so much of it that they actually felt betrayed when they got caught tackling Watson in the end zone. Of all the idiot complaints I've seen, that stands out as the biggest. They got away with murder most of the night, and when they finally got caught they had the nerve to complain?

The only thing I'll say on their behalf is that the officials called it so loose for the Ravens all night that I think the Ravens expected them to let it go again. In that context their complaining makes some sense. Now they're pissed off because the rules seemed to change on the fly.

Well, maybe. My take is that the officials might have been overwhelmed by the fact that there was so much crap happening out there, and they did, in fact, decide that they couldn't call it close or there would be no game. Well, this is what you have to do though. You have to put a stop to it earlier in the game. You don't let it run out of control. There was something out of control going on out there. The Ravens just assumed, perhaps, that it would continue like that into the end zone on Watson.

But wait a minute guys, all eyes are on the end zone in that situation. All cameras catch that flagrant hold and tackle of the receiver. How the hell do you expect the officials to cover your asses on something that blatant? No matter what they let you get away with before, they cannot let you get away with that with all eyes on it. Watch the replay and tell me that you think the officials could let that go. That was the game winner and they just knocked him down.

My take: The Ravens miscalculated what they could get away with at the end, and they really didn't have the coverage to do otherwise. I think they knew it too. They were plain beaten on the Watson hold, and they knew they were beaten. They knew it was game over and they just went looking to put the blame on somebody else.

The officials were dealing with mob conditions on the field and I'm amazed that there weren't any fights, or fans throwing things. That was as close to mob scene as you get in the NFL. If the Pats had been the Titans it would have ended in a brawl with some fans getting killed. The Ravens should shut the hell up because they were out of control and the Patriots saved that situation from melting down into chaos.

Nice post. Main difference between the Rams game, and the Ravens game. Pats were popping Ram's players within 5 yards. Legal. Ravens were "mugging" Patriot players outside of five yards. Very illegal. Rather significant difference. If anybody TIVOd the Ravens game, check it out. It comes across even worse than it did live. Ravens have NOTHING to whine about, but I guess that is what this league is all about now. Sad really.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Nice post. Main difference between the Rams game, and the Ravens game. Pats were popping Ram's players within 5 yards. Legal. Ravens were "mugging" Patriot players outside of five yards. Very illegal. Rather significant difference. If anybody TIVOd the Ravens game, check it out. It comes across even worse than it did live. Ravens have NOTHING to whine about, but I guess that is what this league is all about now. Sad really.

This is definitely the case. It's interesting that the "point of emphasis" which helped change the way the Pats approach the game, personnel acquisitions, etc., now is out the window, at least when the Pats play. I've seen a "let em play" philosophy all year, certainly where the Pats' receivers have been concerned. But maybe I'm just a homer.

Hey, I say let 'em play. Us too. Let everybody do it, or don't let anybody do it. Maybe it's just my bias, but that's not what I see this season.

Of course, as Brian Billick reminds us, sometimes you have to beat the other team and the refs. Good thing the Pats can actually do that.

PFnV

 

[Oswlek]

From the footballoutsiders week 13 DVOA thread:

Last night I reviewed the Ravens/Patriots game and have come up with the true blueprint for beating or at least challenging the Pats. Hold their receivers. I recorded 62 separate and obvious use of the hands by Ravens pass defenders which I would classify as holding or illegal physical contact beyond 5 yds from the line of scrimmage and another 37 which were questionable. Basically on every single pass play the Patriots ran. It appears that the Ravens took a page out of the playbook of the 2001 Patriots and decided to hold, hold and hold. One wonders if a couple of calls early in the game would have stopped it for a different result. Isn’t DVR great?

 

[NYPatsFan]

Nice post. Main difference between the Rams game, and the Ravens game. Pats were popping Ram's players within 5 yards. Legal. Ravens were "mugging" Patriot players outside of five yards. Very illegal. Rather significant difference. If anybody TIVOd the Ravens game, check it out. It comes across even worse than it did live. Ravens have NOTHING to whine about, but I guess that is what this league is all about now. Sad really.

The Pats were agressive against the Rams receivers even after the 5-yard mark.

What's happened to the Patriots in the last two games is almost exactly what the Patriots did to the Rams and Colts. The difference is, it's supposed to be enforced now and it wasn't before. In a way, what's happening now is worse because all the refs know the rule and they are pretty much ignoring it anyway.

 

[ClevTrev]

This is definitely the case. It's interesting that the "point of emphasis" which helped change the way the Pats approach the game, personnel acquisitions, etc., now is out the window, at least when the Pats play. I've seen a "let em play" philosophy all year, certainly where the Pats' receivers have been concerned. But maybe I'm just a homer.

Hey, I say let 'em play. Us too. Let everybody do it, or don't let anybody do it. Maybe it's just my bias, but that's not what I see this season.

Of course, as Brian Billick reminds us, sometimes you have to beat the other team and the refs. Good thing the Pats can actually do that.

PFnV

My concern amidst all of this talk about the officiating or lack thereof is that the Patriots must stay focused on what wins games. Getting incensed during games about the officiating is counterproductive and a distraction to what they're trying to accomplish. Many teams become distracted by officiating as the final act prior to losing the game. Once that happens, it's like throwing in the towel. We witnessed that on Monday night. The Pats maintained their cool and prevailed.

 

[Xzibit23]

The Ravens were holding and pretty much playing dirty football BUT i still understand why they were upset when the game was called differently towards the end, especially in critical, game deciding, 4th down situations. Its like a baseball empire who has a very wide strikezone for the first 8 innings, and then in the bottom of the 9th allows a game winning, bases loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch that he was calling a strike for the first 8+ innings.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

I thought the Sunday night game with the Eagles was outrageously bad with the holding. When Randy Moss kept coming back to the huddle with his collar pulled over his shoulder pads on plays that he had nothing to do with, you'd think the refs would put a stop to it. But thats 2 games in a row where Randy Moss has been mugged and the league is letting the defenders get away with it.

 

[BradyManny]

That's been the big difference in the last two games. Plain and simple. Refs need to wake up.

 

[PromisedLand]

The Pats were agressive against the Rams receivers even after the 5-yard mark.

What's happened to the Patriots in the last two games is almost exactly what the Patriots did to the Rams and Colts. The difference is, it's supposed to be enforced now and it wasn't before. In a way, what's happening now is worse because all the refs know the rule and they are pretty much ignoring it anyway.

And it almost cost us the game when Willie was called for holding Faulk. Instead of being up 24-3 with less than half a quarter left, it was (on the next play) 24-10 and we were hanging on for dear life. But I don't remember any Pats fans whining about the officiating in that game, nor do I think their would have been any whining about the call had we lost. The replay clearly showed, as it did on the Watson play Sunday night, that Willie was all over Faulk.