Roberts low hit sack on Mac: penalty or not?

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

My first reaction was bad call…he was going down based on momentum from being blocked. At the same time, it’s a dangerous play, so where do you draw the line on intent and safety?

No foaming-at-the-mouth homer takes please…curious what people think because it doesn’t get called often.

 

[Bfanlc]

Imo not a penalty. Just a tackle. However in this day and age it's a penalty.

 

[mgcolby]

My initial reaction was that it was ********. But like a good fan gladly took the yards.

What do they expect the guy to do? He clearly was just trying to make a play and was not trying to injure or deliberately go to the legs.

 

[Pats2000]

It seemed like one of those makeup calls. I'll take it, but the game overall was just a sh*t show by the refs.

 

[Ring 6]

My first reaction was why does Stevenson block like he weighs 140 lbs.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Ticky tack call. What’s he supposed to do, fall on the ground away from the QB? Should’ve been a sack.

 

[varjao]

It was a foul. We can discuss if the rule should exist or not but since it does, the call was within the parameters, Mac bent his knees awfully there.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

It seemed like one of those makeup calls. I'll take it, but the game overall was just a sh*t show by the refs.

If this is a bad call then you’d have to say the pro-Dolphins ones were the makeup calls. This call turned a long field goal attempt into a touchdown. That’s a really big deal.

 

[Hyped]

Don't blame Roberts, he was trying to make a play and just fell down. He made a huge tackle from behind in Houston and I'll always love him for it.

OTOH, had Mac gotten knocked out for the year on that play.....that is like 100 million and 16 games by a QB on a rookie contract lost for good..... so I gladly take that penalty every time even if it goes against my team. Losing Brady sucked royal *** back in '08.....even Manning too...it robs us all of NFL entertainment...

 

[catent]

Not a RTP penalty, but it came on the heels of the missed call when Harris had his helmet ripped off (pulling off the helmet by grabbing the underside is equivalent to a facemask per the rules, I think). I think it may have been a make-up call.

 

[VJCPatriot]

1. We should have run the ball.
2. That's always a penalty in today's NFL. Every defensive player should be trained to go to the body on a QB and never below the knees. This is not a new rule, it has been in place for years. Just wrap up the QB around the waist/upper body and bring him down to the turf. It's not a hard concept. Just takes discipline.

 

[mikey m]

My first reaction was that it was a BS call (which I was grateful for at the time), but the way the rule is written is the real issue here. With regards to hitting the QB at or below the knee - "It is not a foul if the defender is blocked (or fouled) into the passer and has no opportunity to avoid him." It says nothing about whether the defender was disengaging from a block, diving over another player, or any other of a hundred circumstances that could lead to tackling a guy at the legs without intention. The rule should only be in place to prevent intentional hits to the knees. Sure intent would be subjective, but every call is subjective and it would at least leave no room for Roberts being flagged in this situation for bowling over Stevenson and ending up at the QB's legs.

 

[bormio]

My first reaction was bad call…he was going down based on momentum from being blocked. At the same time, it’s a dangerous play, so where do you draw the line on intent and safety?

No foaming-at-the-mouth homer takes please…curious what people think because it doesn’t get called often.

I heard about that “block” but not seen it. Damn that was ugly. But Roberts does that on occasion. I remember him blowing up Joe Thomas.

 

[patman12]

It fell well within the rule, it's a penalty. Roberts didn't get blocked int Mac and took 4 or 5 steps following the "block". Bad rule or not, Roberts had time to not go low and avoid the penalty.

 

[venecol]

My first reaction was bad call…he was going down based on momentum from being blocked. At the same time, it’s a dangerous play, so where do you draw the line on intent and safety?

No foaming-at-the-mouth homer takes please…curious what people think because it doesn’t get called often.

Idk but who's the guy he blows up? Is that Stevenson? Holly crap.

 

[bormio]

Idk but who's the guy he blows up? Is that Stevenson? Holly crap.

Yup

 

[Kontradiction]

Idk but who's the guy he blows up? Is that Stevenson? Holly crap.

That was an absolutely pathetic rep.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

To say the RBs didn't have a good day yesterday is an understatement...

 

[TomPatriot]

My first reaction was bad call…he was going down based on momentum from being blocked. At the same time, it’s a dangerous play, so where do you draw the line on intent and safety?

No foaming-at-the-mouth homer takes please…curious what people think because it doesn’t get called often.

Roberts reached out for Jones‘ legs while Robert’s was falling. Penalty.

 

[TomPatriot]

To say the RBs didn't have a good day yesterday is an understatement...

They cost the Patriots the game with two fumbles.

The Pats put the ball on the ground 4 times. Unacceptable.