Horse Collar Tackle Rule? Porter on Alexander

[Brownfan80]

Amid all the other horrid officiating, there was one play that brought my attention to the fact that the horse collar tackle is still being allowed. I noticed it in our playoff game either against JAX or DEN (can't remember which) and saw it again last night. Alexander was sweeping left, got a lane to the outside with Porter trailing. I was thinking to myself "Porter's beat, the only way he can make the tackle is illegal." Sure enough Porter grabbed the back of Alexander's collar and drug him down, contorting him unnaturally (without injury). I waited for the flag. The official was in the shot, staring at Alexander's back as the tackle occured. No flag.

I saw the horse collar tackle MANY times during the season, and never saw one yellow hankee. What's the rule? You can only throw the flag if the guy gets his leg broken? Why are they still allowing these tackles?

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

I think I saw ONE called this year.... but saw a lot more NOT called. Most of the times they were not called the announcers would explain something to the effect of it wasn't called because the defender had hold of the player's jersey and it's got to actually be holding the players pads for it to be a horse collar.

But last night, I think it was pretty obvious that Porter had hold of a lot more of the jersey. That was a horse collar.

 

[Brownfan80]

I think I saw ONE called this year.... but saw a lot more NOT called. Most of the times they were not called the announcers would explain something to the effect of it wasn't called because the defender had hold of the player's jersey and it's got to actually be holding the players pads for it to be a horse collar.

But last night, I think it was pretty obvious that Porter had hold of a lot more of the jersey. That was a horse collar.

You must have seen it the one time they called it. haha.
Was the player injured on the one penalty play?
I could see them saying 'let the players play' on Porters obvious
and visible infraction, but it's obvious they were only letting one
teams players play. That should have been a flag (in addition to the
numerous other calls and non-calls that went in the Stillers favor.
What a snow job.

 

[primetime]

Yeah, I had forgotten about that. It was a clear cut case of a horse collar tackle, but the refs decided not to call it. What a surprise.

 

[patsox23]

Couldn't agree more with this thread.

 

[mtbykr]

ya

I said the same thing last night when i saw the play. But by that point, i just said something like " oh well, it's not like they are going to call the game correctly anyway"

just another example of the NFL jobbing the seahawks and ballwashing the squealers!

 

[brdmaverick]

I agree that the tackle was a horse collar, however, I do like how the refs let it go. A Super Bowl is no time to call fouls such as that (kind of like how pass interference should be called less in a super bowl).

 

[Brownfan80]

I really feel cheated today. Not even just as a Patriots fan with how the Denver game got snowed, but as an NFL fan knowing that the Superbowl itself was affected by the zebras is just horrific. I hate it. It makes me feel like walking away from caring about this sport so much. And I hate THAT thought even more. The NFL needs to fix this fast, before fans start jumping ship. We enjoy this game because it's a clash of WILLPOWER and strength. Not for the storylines that result from it. If the NFL is in fact trying to dictate outcomes for storyline potential, then this is no better than fake wrestling or the now defunct XFL. I've never watch either of those 'sports', and if the NFL allows itself to keep down this path, then I won't be watching THIS sport for much longer either. It makes me sort of sick at the stomach, to be honest.

 

[Brownfan80]

I agree that the tackle was a horse collar, however, I do like how the refs let it go. A Super Bowl is no time to call fouls such as that (kind of like how pass interference should be called less in a super bowl).

Normally I'd agree with you, but with the ticky-tacky fouls they DID throw flags for against Seattle, you'd think that the obvious and blatant penalties would be called for Pittsburgh.

You can't 'let the players play' for one team, and throw ticky tacky flags on the other.. which is exactly what did happen.

 

[nugsfan]

I too feel sick and I am not even a Seattle fan! Heres the thing, I could watch an NFL game between any two teams, I love football, and the great thing about the NFL is that every team has a chance to come out on top, well if they take that away then what interest is left? They took that away last night and for the first time in 30yrs I am not looking forward to next season because I feel robbed and betrayed as a fan of the sport.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I too feel sick and I am not even a Seattle fan! Heres the thing, I could watch an NFL game between any two teams, I love football, and the great thing about the NFL is that every team has a chance to come out on top, well if they take that away then what interest is left? They took that away last night and for the first time in 30yrs I am not looking forward to next season because I feel robbed and betrayed as a fan of the sport.

And think how you'll feel if they don't get this mess fixed and next year it costs your team a trip to or god forbid a World Championship in the Superbowl.

I don't think there is conscious effort on the part of the NFL to rig the outcome of these games. But I do think that subconsciously these officials, who are part time weekend warrior employees who get to rub shoulders with and get on a first name basis with football megastar players and coaches, feel some pressure to be mindful of the story lines the media spins ad nauseum in the run up to each of these big games. And like civil servants or union employees who are difficult to get rid of under all but the most egregious of circumstances, they develop a go along to get along mentality.

Last night for whatever reason the game was not unfolding as anticipated. Seattle, perceived as the softer untested NFC entrant, while havng difficulty putting points on the board, was surprisingly having it's way with a percieved AFC iron team who seemed just lost. In fact they appeared to be on the verge of trouncing the AFC team more than once (very reminicent of the Pats Denver game) if not for their own unforced errors. This was certainly not the anticipated unfolding that had been spun for two weeks by a media that all to often bases it's spin on their most desirable story line (6th seed, road warriors, scortched earth defense, retiring HOF RB, youngest QB who had suddenly blossomed, 14 year winless coach, one for the thumb....)

I believe as a result the part time weekend employees on the field succombed to an unconscious desire to buy time for the universe to right itself - to at least give the pre-determined storyline a shot at unfolding. Seattle still had a shot in spite of the officials, as we did in Denver, but they were going to make that shot an uphill climb so that the Stillers - who were clearly underperforming, would still have one.