Did you see something from the replacement officials in Week 3? Let us know in the comments section of this post or tweet us @footballzebras.
We will update this post periodically with some of the calls that got our attention.
Patriots at Ravens
The winning field goal was barely good – it just snuck inside the upright and was correctly called by the official. Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, chased down a replacement official and grabbed his arm trying to argue with him. That will most likely draw a fine.
Update: Video
Patriots at Ravens
Ragged end partially redeemed by a good DPI on New England to set up a chip shot Ravens’ win.
Patriots at Ravens
The second half has been marked by inconsistent holding, illegal contact, and pass interference calls. A major controversy erupted when John Harbaugh was called for unsportsmanlike conduct right before the two minute warning. Harbaugh claimed he was coming onto the field to call timeout. The NBC announcers have been quite outspoken about solving the lockout. This game is finishing on a low note.
Lockout News
At halftime of Sunday Night Football, Peter King reported that the NFL and the NFL Referees Association met for most of the day today with the mediator.
No deal yet, and no further talks scheduled as of now.
Bengals at Redskins
Redskins assistant, Kyle Shannahan, reportedly chases down and berates an official.
Warning: NSFW language
Steelers at Raiders
Steelers wide receiver, Antonio Brown, fumbles in the field of play and recovers his own fumble for a touchdown (video).
Good job by the officials to hold the whistle, let the play unfold, and make a ruling.
Eagles at Cardinals
Cardinals return a fumble by Eagles QB, Michael Vick for a 93-yard TD. Cardinals wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, runs out of the team box to accompany James Sanders to the endzone. I don’t think it would have wiped out the TD, but that could have been a flag. Non-players have to stay in the team box while a down is in progress (video).
Texans at Broncos
Matt Schaub hurt after two successive roughing the passer calls. Jerry Frump’s crew will have to work to keep a lid on things.
Update: Schaub returned after missing one play.
Update #2: video
49ers at Vikings
Referee Ken Roan says he mistakenly awarded the 49ers extra challenges. The whole fiasco is in its own post.
Eagles at Cardinals
Officials initially rule a Vick fumble down by contact. It is properly overturned by replay and the Cardinals get the ball (video).
Bengals at Redskins
“There was confusion over whether a false start penalty against the Redskins should have resulted in an automatic clock runoff that would have ended the game. Officials said that since it was a dead ball foul there would be no runoff.” (from usatoday.com)
Since the clock was already dead and the offensive foul didn’t result in the clock stopping, this appears to be a good call.
Bear with me … a lot to write about here.
Buccaneers at Cowboys
A deep official marked a player out of bounds with his hat, but instead of dropping it right on the line, he flings it into the end zone. Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree eats turf after slipping on the hat (video). This is why the proper mechanic is to place the hat on the line and not in the field of play and in the path of a player. I cannot see from the video who was the out-of-bounds player, but it might have been a player on the end line.
Jets at Dolphins
Jets were penalized for a 15-yard roughing-the-kicker, when there was no contact with the punter. Even if the official was sure there was contact, it should have been running into the kicker (5 yards). Roughing usually is contact on the kicker’s plant leg, hyperextending the kicking leg, or just some kind of blatant roughness. Absent that, the running-into-the-kicker penalty should be called if the defense does not touch the punted ball (block or partial block).
Monday, Jan. 28 at 10:17 a.m. on
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This.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/23/alex-smiths-249-throw-streak-without-an-interception-ends-with-a-thud/
Vikings running back Toby Gerhart was tackled, the ball came out, the Niners recovered, and the ruling on the field was that Gerhart did not fumble. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh challenged the play, but he apparently didn’t have a time out to lose if the challenge failed.
Which means he shouldn’t have been able to challenge.
But challenge he did, and the ruling on the field was overturned, and the ball was given to the 49ers, and a time out went back on the clock.
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Anthony Fasano’s (MIA tight end) controversial catch today. He caught the ball but when he fell out of bounds the ball came loose… the play was challenged and they left it as a catch? has anyone seen the video? i haven’t heard anything about it since. I think it was actually the worst call of the year considering they reviewed it and still got it wrong. Not a call that can just be “swept under the rug” it was a blatant incomplete pass.
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jets/dolphins… there is no more 5 yard running into the kicker penalty. its either roughing or nothing. dont worry…. becky hochuli doesnt know that rule either.
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I won’t worry, because I do know the rule. Roughing the kicker is a 15-yard penalty. Running into the kicker is Rule 6-2-2:
You must have confused with the incidental facemask (5 yd) penalty that was abolished. Only the 15-yard variety exists.
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Bengals/Redskins: there was an earlier ten-second runoff never enforced: at the 1:07 mark, 4th qtr, the referee asks for a proper runoff for a Washington injury, with no time-outs. He stands there for a while, and the timekeeper never changes the clock, and the referee just gives up and walks away. The later incidents at :07 should have never occurred.
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How about tonight’s game and the worst call in sports history?
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Bengals-Redskins – at 2:58, Green-Ellis fumbles, recovered by Morgan. Officials blow the play dead for no apparent reason.
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Lions at Titans. Titans punter knocked down during kick . No flag. Pass interference call on titans when DB simply touches receivers back with one Hand as they both go for ball. In readily bad officiating.