Check this post for a breakdown of calls made by the officiating crews today. Did you see something that is controversial or have a question about a rules interpretation? Respond in the comments section of this post or tweet us @footballzebras.
Lions at Bears
First time seeing Alberto Riveron this year. He seems to have stepped up this year with his mic work and expressions while making announcements.
Lions at Bears
Nice job by back judge, Rich Reels, to cover that muffed Lions punt early in the third quarter.
Saints at Buccaneers
So, I saw a huge spike in traffic to an old post about “disconcerting signals.” The Buccaneers defense was hit with the penalty, which would be someone on the defensive line yelling over or imitating the snap call. I don’t have the specific play or any video, but apparently there was also a shift of the entire defensive line. This is legal, as long as no one violated the neutral zone.
Jerome Boger was the referee.
Update 10/23: It wasn’t just a simple shift, and we have a full post up on it.
Browns at Colts (video)
Cowboys at Panthers (video)
Crazy ending sequences to these games. The Browns and Panthers try to keep the game alive with a series of laterals. It looks like all passes were backward so the officials called the play correctly. On plays like that is it important to concentrate, get the best angle to judge the direction of the pass, and be ready for anything.
Jets at Patriots
On a fumble recovery by the Jets, Patriots coach Bill Belichick threw a challenge flag that the runner was down prior to the ball coming out. Referee Jeff Triplette also called for a review by the replay booth. Because the Patriots called for the challenge, there should have been a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed on the Patriots’ bench.
Although no challenge flag was seen, announcer Jim Nantz said there was, the player on the screen reacted that one was thrown, and the crowd reacted as if a challenge was thrown. (Update: NFL disputes this, see below.) The uncalled penalty would have been very costly, as the play would no longer be subject to a review, and it does not matter if the booth contacted the field before the challenge flag.
So, the errant challenge flag foul mandates that ball would have been Jets, 1st and 10 on their own 35. Instead, the Patriots got the ball on the reversal, 1st and goal from the 1. And the Patriots, easily, were able to add a touchdown on the board.
Update, 10/22: I confirmed with Jim Daopoulos (NBC Sports Network rules analyst and former NFL official and supervisor) via Twitter that the play would not be subject to review.
Update II, 10/22 (3:15 pm EDT): The NFL has stated that Jim Nantz’s call that (I am going from memory) ”the challenge flag is already out” was incorrect. Per AFC spokesman Corry Rush:
Coach Belichick did not throw a challenge flag on that play. It was a booth review.
Jets at Patriots
Near the end of the second quarter, the Jets got a first down and called timeout as they lined up for the snap. This gave the replay booth extra time to review, and ultimately the first down was overturned.
Jets lost the timeout, because they needed it to stop the clock. No matter what the decision was from replay, the status of the clock (running or stopped) goes to the other side of replay. Since the result of the play is running clock, followed by a timeout to stop, referee Jeff Triplette could not return the timeout to the Jets.
Jets at Patriots (video)
On a fumble into the end zone, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez kicked the ball through the end zone. The play is a safety by either enforcement: whether the ball went out of bounds or a penalty in the end zone. Although referee Jeff Triplette didn’t indicate the penalty was declined, the official scorekeeper marked it as such.
The illegal kick penalty is not enforced on the ensuing kickoff because only two types fouls carry forward after a score:
- personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct
- fouls by defense on a successful conversion attempt
If there was, for example, a chop block penalty on the same play as the ball going out of bounds in the end zone, the penalty carries forward to the free kick, which would be a half-distance penalty, with the kick from the 10 instead of the 20.
But, if the chop block penalty was “used” to call the safety (in other words, the result of the play was not a safety, but the foul made it a safety), then the penalty for the foul would not carried forward to the kickoff.
Saints at Buccaneers
The game ended on an offensive penalty, with Tampa Bay WR Mike Williams catching an apparent game-tying touchdown in the back of the end zone. However, he had been forced out of bounds and then came back in. Since the pass wasn’t tipped or touched by another player first, the ruling of Illegal Touching was the correct call by Jerome Boger’s crew, who had a couple of questionable calls earlier in the game.
Update: We now have a full post up on this play.
Cowboys at Panthers (video)
Mike Tolbert scores a touchdown for the Panthers. Mike Pereira tweets that the ensuing celebration should have drawn a flag as it was a group event.
Cowboys at Panthers (video)
Brandon LaFell catches a short touchdown pass right at the pylon. The ball needs to pass over the top of the pylon for it to be a touchdown. Line judge, Gary Arthur, on the call.
Packers at Rams (video)
The Packers recover a surprise onside kick leading to a pretty intense scrum. Officials have to be ready for everything.
Cardinals at Vikings (video)
The Vikings force a fumble and a scrum ensues. McAulay’s crew does a great job managing the scrum – something I’ve talked about before.
Cowboys at Panthers (video)
On an interception by the Cowboys in the end zone, cornerback Morris Claiborne attempted a runback but was tackled in the end zone. This is ruled a touchback, because the entire ball never exited the end zone.
The test for safety vs. touchback is always measured by who put the ball in the end zone. Because the pass by Panthers quarterback Cam Newton put the ball in the end zone, it is a touchback. If Claiborne had advanced to the 1-yard line, retreated into the end zone and was tackled there, then the Cowboys would have put the ball in the end zone, and a safety would have been ruled.
Packers at Rams (video)
Jordy Nelson with a toe-tapping touchdown and head linesman, Dana McKenzie, with the picture of concentration on the sideline. Officials are taught to see the feet first, then watch to see if the receiver controls the ball.
Ravens at Texans (video)
The Texans sack quarterback Joe Flacco for a safety. On plays like this one, the line judge is responsible for forward progress. When the quarterback drops back for a pass, the head linesman drifts down field and the line judge either stays on the line of scrimmage or slide steps into the backfield. If the quarterback is sacked, he is responsible for forward progress, and when the goal line is involved, his job is to help determine if the sack results in a safety.
Monday, Jan. 28 at 10:17 a.m. on
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Cowboys vs. Panthers (Touchback on interception)
Wanted a clarification on the Maurice Claiborne interception and ruled touchback. After Claiborne intercepted falling to the ground, he then got up as if to run but then was tackled by Steve Smith still in the endzone. i know it is a touchback, but not because Claiborne took a knee. He got up and was tackled. So is Steve Smith statistically credited with a tackle? It didn’t show up on the game stats. A stat correction needed?
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I know that a player who initiates a runback from the end zone, but never leaves the end zone, is not credited with any return yardage; but, a player who intercepts 7 yards deep in the end zone, and returns to the 10-yard line is credited with 17 yards. Perhaps tackles are similarly handled. That is a better question for the Elias Sports Bureau, who manages the statistics on behalf of the NFL. They have an entire manual of how to consistently record almost every conceivable type of play. I would contact them for clarification.