James White's knee on the TD

[Simpelton]

I have never seen so much discussion over a call that 99.99% of the public agrees was a no brainer TD.

One single conspiracy theorist idiot out there thought White's arm was the ball, and now people in here want to install electronic neon magnetic paint chips that the black helicopters can electronically track on all pigmented sides of the ball.

The best part of it is none of that will really shut the conspiracy theorists up.

But if it might make the referees screw up less, I'd still be all for modernizing the rulings of the game a bit. Even baseball tracks pitches with computers, football needs to get on the new wave.

 

[sb1]

Pigment then. This is a distinction without a difference.


All I'm saying is the technology exists. It could be done if tthe NFL brass were competent and forward-thinking enough to do it.

Best to leave it as it is. If people disagree with that then just wait till the system malfunctions because something was found on the ball which made it malfunction because it wasn't tested enough... and it happens in a game at Foxboro.

I think we all know what would happen.

 

[XLIX]

I find it funny that they're hanging onto this instance when the refs actually missed a call in the Pats favor on Malcolm Mitchell's 3rd and 11 catch which it seems pretty clear he actually dropped and no one noticed. It's the catch where everyone remembers he unwisely almost put the ball down untouched, but if you watch the instant replay slo mo, you see the ball coming out and NO ONE noticed. Not the refs, not the Falcons, not the announcers. It would have made the Pats convert a 4th and 11 if it was called.

So one missed call on either side. The Pats legally blocked that extra point, and Mitchell secretly dropped that ball.

Not sure what you are watching. He had possession of the ball the entire way to the ground and even when he reached forward for an extra yard. It was only well after the Falcon touched him down by contact that there was a minor bobble.

It was an unwise play by Mitchell but the right call was made.

 

[Tony2046]

I find it funny that they're hanging onto this instance when the refs actually missed a call in the Pats favor on Malcolm Mitchell's 3rd and 11 catch which it seems pretty clear he actually dropped and no one noticed. It's the catch where everyone remembers he unwisely almost put the ball down untouched, but if you watch the instant replay slo mo, you see the ball coming out and NO ONE noticed. Not the refs, not the Falcons, not the announcers. It would have made the Pats convert a 4th and 11 if it was called.

So one missed call on either side. The Pats legally blocked that extra point, and Mitchell secretly dropped that ball.

He didn't drop it. It doesn't come out. I just rewatched it.

 

[XLIX]

The best part of it is none of that will really shut the conspiracy theorists up.

But if it might make the referees screw up less, I'd still be all for modernizing the rulings of the game a bit. Even baseball tracks pitches with computers, football needs to get on the new wave.

The networks have their little strike zone boxes, but baseball doesn't use any sort of technology to make any calls based on tracking balls with chips or cameras or whatever.

 

[sb1]

Oh man, I'll have to take a look at this again.

It was the play that Mitchell might have bobbled the ball or put it down prematurely and no Falcon player was savvy enough to jump on it.

But there was no drop, the catch was good.

For a very small segment of Falcons fans and people who hate the Patriots...you know what they say about the stages of grief. Denial is the first one.

 

[slam]

He didn't drop it. It doesn't come out. I just rewatched it.

View attachment 16352
View attachment 16353
View attachment 16354

In the second screencap, he's cradling air while the ball is on the ground.

Here's the video link:

Watch it at the slowest speed at the highest quality starting at 2:38.

 

[XLIX]

In the second screencap, he's cradling air while the ball is on the ground.

That's his arm on the ground and he has full possession of the ball before the point of the ball touches the ground, hence a completion.

 

[sb1]

In the second screencap, he's cradling air while the ball is on the ground.

Here's the video link:

Watch it at the slowest speed at the highest quality starting at 2:38.

Looked to me like that was his left elbow touching the ground not the football. Even if it was reviewed the call would stand as there's not nearly enough evidence to overturn the call of a catch.

 

[sb1]

In the second screencap, he's cradling air while the ball is on the ground.

Watch it at the slowest speed at the highest quality starting at 2:38.

And if the ball was out you would have seen it at 2:33.

The catch was good and it would have been confirmed on any review.

 

[Tony2046]

In the second screencap, he's cradling air while the ball is on the ground.

Here's the video link:

Watch it at the slowest speed at the highest quality starting at 2:38.

I have gamepass so I can watch all angles in HD in slowmotion. What you see on the ground is part of his arm brace. I do see how you could confuse that with the ball but I promise you it's not. He caught the ball and had it firmly all the way to the ground.

 

[sb1]

I have gamepass so I can watch all angles in HD in slowmotion. What you see on the ground is part of his arm brace. I do see how you could confuse that with the ball but I promise you it's not. He caught the ball and had it firmly all the way to the ground.

There would have been a red flag on the ground if there was any doubt it was a catch.

The fact that there wasn't says it all. The Falcons knew better.

 

[slam]

Well, I don't discount the notion that I might be going crazy.

 

[Tony2046]

In the second screencap, he's cradling air while the ball is on the ground.

Here's the video link:

Watch it at the slowest speed at the highest quality starting at 2:38.

I'll draw two arrows in each screenshot. One for the ball and one for his arm brace.





By the way after rewatching this catch I noticed something else.

 

[sb1]

Now to be fair what might have been iffy on a challenge and where the Pats might have gotten away with one is 2:34 where Mitchell deliberately slaps the ball on the ground. To me it's NOT clear if he was down by contact at that moment. If the ATL defender pounced on the ball and the ref ruled fumble that would have been, um...unfortunate.

 

[Tony2046]

Now to be fair what might have been iffy on a challenge and what the Pats might have gotten away with one is 2:34 where Mitchell deliberately slaps the ball on the ground. To me it's NOT clear if he was down by contact at that moment. If the ATL defender pounced on the ball and the ref ruled fumble that would have been, um...unfortunate.

IIRC. The player can give himself up. The act of slamming the ball on the ground could have been called that. Or if the Falcon player touched Malcom while he was down he would have been down.

As soon as Mitchell puts the ball on the ground the ref blows the whistle.

But damn what was he thinking? That could have gotten messy. Thankfully it didn't.

 

[slam]

I'll draw two arrows in each screenshot. One for the ball and one for his arm brace.

View attachment 16355
View attachment 16356
View attachment 16357

By the way after rewatching this catch I noticed something else.
View attachment 16358
View attachment 16359

OK, I'm convinced. Thanks for setting me straight!

 

[signbabybrady]

I agree it would look silly (anyone remember the old ABA basketballs?) and I imagine that fans and players alike would object to an orange (or neon green or whatever) ball, but that's the most original suggestion I've heard in a long time. Would also make it easier for officials to see who has the ball at the bottom of a pile after a fumble. Probably also make it easier for a Receiver to pick up a ball with his eyes in the rain.

I've been fooled by an elbow watching from the stands to think a ball was loose many times so I've joked about this for years.

 

[Schmo]

IIRC. The player can give himself up. The act of slamming the ball on the ground could have been called that. Or if the Falcon player touched Malcom while he was down he would have been down.

As soon as Mitchell puts the ball on the ground the ref blows the whistle.

But damn what was he thinking? That could have gotten messy. Thankfully it didn't.

To me, it looked like MM was still holding onto the ball after he slammed it down... He was just reaching for the extra yard before he was touched. I'll have to watch it again.

 

[Tony2046]

To me, it looked like MM was still holding onto the ball after he slammed it down... He was just reaching for the extra yard before he was touched. I'll have to watch it again.

That's correct. He still had his hand on it. He didn't let it go. The defender tried to grab at it but the ref blew the whistle.