Now about that PI call on Malcom.....

[Beethree]

I'll start by saying I've seen that same kind of play result in a call and in a non-call, and there were not a ton of penalties called against either team. Taken alone, not a horrendous call.
That said - I have been beating this drum for weeks: It is not how many penalties get called that make me start to suspect bias, it is WHEN they get called. If that flag isn't thrown, the Jets punt, the Pats hopefully get a field goal, and everyone around the water cooler is talking about what a genius Bill is for choosing to kick.

I actually thought to myself before that play, that if there was an incompletion there'd be a flag. Wish I documented that.

I am not a conspiracy theorist by nature, but post-Deflategate, I have been seeing the league, and by extension the officiating with a jaundiced eye. With Blandino now being a virtual eye in the sky, there is even more cause for skepticism.

We need for the games not to be close so a stray well placed call here or there can not make the difference.

 

[rexxar]

Need to start blowing teams out again so this crap can't happen

 

[ensoul]

A) don't put the game in the hands of the refs.
B) that was PI.
C) Pats take the ball in OT like they should have that play never happens.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

It was pass interference, but Butler made a good play to make it a tough call to make. Gets called half the time. I believe it was the first penalty called against the Pats all game. Hard to even raise questions about the refs when you consider that.

 

[Patsrock]

People keep getting confused. That PI was on the Jets final drive in regulation and not OT.

Patriots vs. Jets - Play-By-Play - December 27, 2015 - ESPN

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

A) don't put the game in the hands of the refs.
B) that was PI.
C) Pats take the ball in OT like they should have that play never happens.

Fans like you remind me I'm not alone. Thank you sir.

 

[JMC00]

If they are gonna call that then they needed to call marshall's opi on his TD.

 

[meatface]

It was really soft but so was the one they called against the jets earlier in the game. I just thought it was funny how the announcers were saying that the one that the Jets did was a terrible call and the butler one was a great call considering that they were very similar

 

[Deus Irae]

I'll start by saying I've seen that same kind of play result in a call and in a non-call, and there were not a ton of penalties called against either team. Taken alone, not a horrendous call.
That said - I have been beating this drum for weeks: It is not how many penalties get called that make me start to suspect bias, it is WHEN they get called. If that flag isn't thrown, the Jets punt, the Pats hopefully get a field goal, and everyone around the water cooler is talking about what a genius Bill is for choosing to kick.

I actually thought to myself before that play, that if there was an incompletion there'd be a flag. Wish I documented that.

I am not a conspiracy theorist by nature, but post-Deflategate, I have been seeing the league, and by extension the officiating with a jaundiced eye. With Blandino now being a virtual eye in the sky, there is even more cause for skepticism.

We need for the games not to be close so a stray well placed call here or there can not make the difference.

It was clearly PI, and Butler didn't need to commit it to make the play. Perhaps "we" just need players not to needlessly commit penalties...

 

[aluminum seats]

People keep getting confused. That PI was on the Jets final drive in regulation and not OT.

Patriots vs. Jets - Play-By-Play - December 27, 2015 - ESPN

Huh. You're right, I was thinking it was in OT. Weird.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

It was clearly PI, and Butler didn't need to commit it to make the play. Perhaps "we" just need players not to needlessly commit penalties...

Wait! You're telling me that sometimes even our good players make mistakes that can cost us games?
Can't be! They're our Patriots!

 

[JJDChE]

I just saw the quick replay right after the play and i didn't think it looked like PI. Butler's hand appeared to be clenched against the wrs side but i didn't see any jersey movement. I was hoping for another replay but they didn't show one. Does anyone have a clip of it?

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

If that was PI on Malcolm , what was that last night when Thomas made the one handed catch while literally being handcuffed in his other hand and there was no flag???

 

[everlong]

I'd add the non-call on Marshall when he hooked Ryan as well. If not for all the ticky-tack OPI's on Gronk I wouldn't even bring it up but does anybody think if that's Gronk there isn't a flag? Better chance of Goodell coming out and saying he didn't request to watch the Ray Rice video so he could maintain plausible deniability.

 

[50-yard-line]

One job I wouldn't want in the NFL is determining what is or isn't PI. They hand-fight on almost every play. One thing they DO call is the back hand tugging the jersey.

It wasn't a bad call.
It was the only penalty on New England.
It wasn't in overtime.

And...that was one of the best officiated games I've seen this year, as in, they let the teams play football!

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Need to start blowing teams out again so this crap can't happen

Looks like the Cardinals figured that out too.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It was pass interference, but Butler made a good play to make it a tough call to make. Gets called half the time. I believe it was the first penalty called against the Pats all game. Hard to even raise questions about the refs when you consider that.

It was a good call. I haven't seen enough replays to know whether he had to take a chance and grab the receiver's arm because he was going to catch it anyway and he figured "what the hell, it's a first down one way or the other," but it was a good call.

 

[Kontradiction]

It was clear PI. The OP's main complaint should be about how the officials missed Marshall pushing off on the long TD. But Marshall always does that too. He's never been a WR that relies on pure speed to get open.

 

[JMC00]

I just saw the quick replay right after the play and i didn't think it looked like PI. Butler's hand appeared to be clenched against the wrs side but i didn't see any jersey movement. I was hoping for another replay but they didn't show one. Does anyone have a clip of it?

They didn't show one because there was nothing there. Refs saw his hand on his back and figured he was holding the jersey.

Real hawk like vision on that one by the refs. Yet went blind when marshall continually and egregiously committed opi.

 

[bbobbo]

I just saw the quick replay right after the play and i didn't think it looked like PI. Butler's hand appeared to be clenched against the wrs side but i didn't see any jersey movement. I was hoping for another replay but they didn't show one. Does anyone have a clip of it?

looks like pretty good coverage to me. his right hand was in a fist but didn't appear to be grabbing decker's jersey, and in any event he didn't turn decker's body. his left arm swiped at the ball and didn't appear to restrict decker's left arm. even with the tight coverage, decker could should have caught the ball but didn't.