Deion Sanders and Mariucci say Faulk got the first down!

[CMcCartney]

There was no doubt in my mind that Faulk made that first down.. but, more importantly, there was no doubt in my mind that the refs would see it differently.. It's just the way it is when you play the Colts.. Phantom PI call on the drive before to give the Colts the TD to get within 6, and the refs can't get the spot right on 4th down.. Even if the Pats could have challenged, they'd find a way to make sure Indy got the ball.. Oh, and NO penalties on the Colts defense for the entire game.. Shocking...

 

[rdrr]

Foot down on the 30, ball firmly in possession.

First down Pats. Although I disagree with the choice to go for it, because why even put the game in the refs hands?

 

[DW Toys]

Re: D.SANDERS and Mariucci say Faulk got the first down !!

I was watchin the NFL network after the game... They showed the clip about 5 times... I tip my hat off to Dion, he spoke out and said it was a 1st down... side judge had no view of the ball and they show a clip of another side judge runnin down the field gettin ready to mark it 1st and 10...

Even Rich Eisen who is not a big Pats booster said it looked like he got it. How can the official make the call when Faulk had his back to him?....Yikes!

The ball is actually caught on his left side which was over the 30.
DW Toys

 

[Bella*chick]

That spot was horrible. It was clearly a first down.

I honestly feel sick with disgust.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

In other news......... my cousin Vinny and Angelo thought the PI call on Butler was BS.

Just saying

 

[upstater1]

Re: D.SANDERS and Mariucci say Faulk got the first down !!

It's inexcusable to use all 3 of your timeouts before the 2 minute warning of any game, as far as I'm concerned. You handcuff yourself, as we found out to our disadvantage.

Maybe you call a timeout before that play. But we called 2 other timeouts earlier in the 2nd half. Brady called one 3 plays earlier at the beginning of that series.

I don't care what the game or what the situation. You don't burn all 3 timeouts before the 2 minute warning. Piss poor game management.

It's the biggest play. It decides the game. It's the last play before the 2 minute warning. In other words, you'd be crazy not to call it there.

If Belichick hadn't called a timeout there, and Brady threw incomplete, can you tell me that you'd be defending BB for not calling a timeout before a crucial--excuse me--the crucial play of the game?

 

[FalconHeavy]

Foot down on the 30, ball firmly in possession.

First down Pats. Although I disagree with the choice to go for it, because why even put the game in the refs hands?

Man, I feel sick all over again looking at this photo. When is this bias gonna stop

Mr.Kraft, grow a pair and do something about it. I understand the financial implications of NFL but at some corner, there needs to be a bit of pride

 

[bakes781]

Re: D.SANDERS and Mariucci say Faulk got the first down !!

It's the biggest play. It decides the game. It's the last play before the 2 minute warning. In other words, you'd be crazy not to call it there.

If Belichick hadn't called a timeout there, and Brady threw incomplete, can you tell me that you'd be defending BB for not calling a timeout before a crucial--excuse me--the crucial play of the game?

If you run the ball on 3rd and 2 you get your TO from either the Colts or the officials with the 2 minute warning.

 

[COLT FAN]

The rulebook on the "Call"

a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground inbounds or any other part of his body

A: He caught the ball, and bobbled it in the air.

B: Ergo, no part of his body touched the ground after the bobble UNTIL
he hit the ground on that side of the 4th down marker

C: Its a catch, but, you only get the yards from a bobble where you contact the ground after possession is re-established

D: Hence Turnover on Downs

 

[SBPatsFan]

The "rulebook" would need to reference what constitutes forward progress during a catch. You don't appear to.

Below is from an officiating forum. While the person making the comment claims to be an official and this thread is not about this play, I would not trust his statement to be necessarily definitive.

"With respect to taking the ball to the ground. The catch is technically completed when anything touches the ground with respect to progress, however in order for it to stay a catch, the receiver has to maintain control throughout hitting the ground."

 

[SoCalPatsfan90]

The rulebook on the "Call"

a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground inbounds or any other part of his body

A: He caught the ball, and bobbled it in the air.

B: Ergo, no part of his body touched the ground after the bobble UNTIL
he hit the ground on that side of the 4th down marker

C: Its a catch, but, you only get the yards from a bobble where you contact the ground after possession is re-established

D: Hence Turnover on Downs

Except that's not how it's always called. Riddle me this please, how does the ref that is behind the player, and has a poor view of everything, overrule the ref on the front side of the player coming in to mark forward progress? You can't say the ref in front didn't see the little bobble, and you can't say the ref behind thought he bobbled it all the way to the ground...

It was a poor spot, you know it, we know it. I think NE should have played differently, ala the safety in denver, just give up the TD and have 1:35-1:45 left to get into FG position. But the spot was horrible, and you'd be on your own board, or this one maybe complaining about it, if it happened to your team.

 

[rdrr]

The rulebook on the "Call"

a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground inbounds or any other part of his body

A: He caught the ball, and bobbled it in the air.

B: Ergo, no part of his body touched the ground after the bobble UNTIL
he hit the ground on that side of the 4th down marker

C: Its a catch, but, you only get the yards from a bobble where you contact the ground after possession is re-established

D: Hence Turnover on Downs

Second foot down, and where is the ball? On the 30!

 

[SoCalPatsfan90]

Technically that'd be the first foot down... but it's after the bobble, because you can see the ball is clearly in his control... the first pic posted on the last page is his left foot down, which comes down on the far sid of the 30 as well...

Plain and simple, it was a first down, and the ref there (in picture) had NO business overturning a play he couldn't see clearly.

 

[duce110]

Second foot down, and where is the ball? On the 30!

perfect picture... picture is worth a thousand words but i'll just give u a few... its 1st and 10 2 the 2 min warnin...

 

[patsinthesnow]

Second foot down, and where is the ball? On the 30!

This picture makes me want to cry.

 

[WhiZa]

Why didn't the refs get together on such a crucial spot to make sure they got the right call? It's almost like they thought BB would challenge so why waste their time.

 

[letekro]

This picture makes me want to cry.

He may have made it, but it's too close for comfort. It never would've been overturned and I can't blame the guy that made the call. Lots of things to be pissed about, but this aint one of em. Faulk needs to either (a) push his route a half yard up, or (b) catch the ball cleanly. He does either one of those things and we don't have to rely on the refs.

 

[stattry]

Technically that'd be the first foot down... but it's after the bobble, because you can see the ball is clearly in his control... the first pic posted on the last page is his left foot down, which comes down on the far sid of the 30 as well...

Plain and simple, it was a first down, and the ref there (in picture) had NO business overturning a play he couldn't see clearly.

You just can't tell from that picture because of the angle. That angle is deceptive. It's not clear at all in my opinion. It's way too close for anyone to say this was clear one way or the other

 

[upstater1]

Re: D.SANDERS and Mariucci say Faulk got the first down !!

If you run the ball on 3rd and 2 you get your TO from either the Colts or the officials with the 2 minute warning.

Good point, and like I said earlier, I can't expect a coach to be making those kinds of assessments in the 25 seconds they have to call a play. Welker is getting up from making 8 yards, and I'm sure the coaches are thinking about a first down there.

 

[upstater1]

The rulebook on the "Call"

a player must have complete control of the ball and have both feet completely on the ground inbounds or any other part of his body

A: He caught the ball, and bobbled it in the air.

B: Ergo, no part of his body touched the ground after the bobble UNTIL
he hit the ground on that side of the 4th down marker

C: Its a catch, but, you only get the yards from a bobble where you contact the ground after possession is re-established

D: Hence Turnover on Downs

You're interpreting the rule wrong. A player must LAND inbounds, but forward progress can be awarded. It's not awarded where you land.

Or else, a player could bobble the ball, be picked up by a defender, and deposited all the way downfield on their one yard line.

You think the refs aren't calling forward progress in that situation? You got the rule wrong.