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A couple of substitutions this week at the head referee position. Scott Green, as we reported last week, is sidelined again. Mike Pereira tweeted that it was a knee injury that in keeping Green out. Tony Corrente is out with an illness. We wish both a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing them on the field again.

Pete Morelli pulls double duty this week, heading his crew on Thursday and filling in for Green on Sunday. Mike Carey’s crew is off this week, however, Carey is in Miami for Corrente.

Thursday, Dec. 1

• Philadelphia at Seattle – Pete Morelli

Sunday, Dec. 4

• Titans at Bills: Alberto Riverón
• Chiefs at Bears: Jerome Boger
• Ravens at Browns: Ed Hochuli
• Raiders at Dolphins: Mike Carey (heading Tony Corrente’s crew)
• Bengals at Steelers: Carl Cheffers
• Panthers at Buccaneers: Gene Steratore
• Jets at Redskins: John Parry
• Falcons at Texans: Bill Leavy
• Broncos at Vikings: Terry McAulay
• Colts at Patriots: Ron Winter
• Rams at 49ers: Pete Morelli (heading Scott Green’s crew)
• Packers at Giants: Jeff Triplette
• Cowboys at Cardinals: Walt Coleman
• Lions at Saints: Clete Blakeman

Monday, Dec. 5

• Chargers at Jaguars: Walt Anderson

We are looking for official word as to why Scott Green has been sidelined the past two weeks. While Jeff Triplette’s crew has the week off, Triplette will head Green’s crew, just as Gene Steratore did last week.

Thursday, Nov. 24

• Packers at Lions: Terry McAulay
• Dolphins at Cowboys: Pete Morelli
• 49ers at Ravens: John Parry

Sunday, Nov. 27

• Vikings at Falcons:
• Browns at Bengals: Walt Anderson
• Buccaneers at Titans: Bill Leavy
• Panthers at Colts:
• Texans at Jaguars: Walt Coleman
• Cardinals at Rams: Mike Carey
• Bills at Jets: Carl Cheffers
• Bears at Raiders: Ron Winter
• Redskins at Seahawks: Clete Blakeman
• Patriots at Eagles: Jerome Boger
• Broncos at Chargers: Jeff Triplette (heading Scott Green’s crew)
• Steelers at Chiefs: Ed Hochuli

Monday, Nov. 28

• Giants at Saints: Gene Steratore

Off this week: Jeff Triplette’s crew

Thursday, Nov. 17

Jets at Broncos: Bill Leavy

Sunday, Nov. 20

Titans at Falcons: John Parry
Jaguars at Browns: Terry McAuley
Panthers at Lions: Gene Steratore (heading Scott Green’s crew)
Buccaneers at Packers: Alberto Riverón
Cowboys at Redskins: Ed Hochuli
Bengals at Ravens: Ron Winter
Bills at Dolphins: Walt Coleman
Raiders at Vikings: Jerome Boger
Cardinals at 49ers: Pete Morelli
Seahawks at St. Louis: Carl Cheffers
Chargers at Bears:  Jeff Triplette
Eagles at Giants: Mike Carey

Monday, Nov. 21
Chiefs at Patriots: Clete Blakeman

Off this week: Gene Steratore’s crew, Walt Anderson

Credit: Football-refs.com

Back on track here, as we had a very difficult interruption at our site. Let’s pick up with the Week 10 officiating assignments:

Thursday, Nov. 10
Raiders at Chargers: Ed Hochuli

Sunday, Nov. 13
Saints at Falcons: Terry McAulay
Lions at Bears: Pete Morelli
Steelers at Bengals: Bill Leavy
Rams at Browns: Clete Blakeman
Bills at Cowboys: Jerome Boger
Jaguars at Colts: Jeff Triplette
Broncos at Chiefs: Ron Winter
Redskins at Dolphins: Carl Cheffers
Cardinals at Eagles: Walt Anderson
Texans at Buccaneers: John Parry
Titans at Panthers: Walt Coleman
Ravens at Seahawks: Scott Green
Giants at 49ers: Tony Corrente
Patriots at Jets: Gene Steratore

Monday, Nov. 14
Vikings at Packers: Mike Carey

Credit: Football-refs.com

Sunday, Oct. 9

• Eagles at Bills: Walt Coleman
• Chiefs at Colts: Carl Cheffers
• Cardinals at Vikings: Scott Green
• Seahawks at Giants: Ed Hochuli
• Titans at Steelers: Walt Anderson
• Saints at Panthers: John Parry
• Bengals at Jaguars: Alberto Riverón
• Raiders at Texans: Pete Morelli
• Buccaneers at 49ers: Terry McAulay
• Jets at Patriots: Jerome Boger
• Chargers at Broncos: Gene Steratore
• Packers at Falcons: Jeff Triplette

Monday, Oct. 10

• Bears at Lions: Clete Blakeman

SUNDAY, OCT. 2

• Panthers at Bears:  Terry McAulay
• Bills at Browns: Gene Steratore
• Titans at Browns: Pete Morelli
• Lions at Cowboys: John Parry
• Redskins at Rams: Walt Coleman
• 49ers at Eagles: Alberto Riverón
• Vikings at Chiefs: Bill Leavy
• Saints at Jaguars: Ed Hochuli
• Steelers at Texans: Clete Blakeman
• Falcons at Seahawks: Walt Anderson
• Giants at Cardinals: Jerome Boger
• Dolphins at Chargers: Jeff Triplette
• Broncos at Packers: Scott Green
• Patriots at Raiders: Tony Corrente
• Jets at Ravens: Mike Carey

MONDAY, OCT. 3

• Colts at Buccaneers: Ron Winter

Off: Carl Cheffers

Most assignments confirmed through Football-refs.com.

Use the comments area or hit us on Twitter (@footballzebras) for any questionable calls in Week 3. We will be tied up today, so check back later for our quick takes.

Referee assignments are after the jump.

Quick calls

Things at Zebra Blog headquarters didn’t allow us for updates today. I got caught up on some of today’s action with some help by the detailed discussions over at Behind the Football Stripes.

• Jets at Raiders | 2nd quarter | :04 remaining | video. It’s never pretty when an official does something to merit a highlight clip on NFL.com. While attempting to spot the ball in the final seconds of the half, umpire Ruben Fowler lands on all-fours. The ball is spotted in time for the Raiders to stop the clock.
• Jaguars at Panthers | 2nd quarter | 1:28 remaining | video. When the Panthers lead 5-3 (yes!) in an ugly quagmire, Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart had a large gain called back because he was ruled down by contact. You know the conditions are really bad when a network cameraman is unable to see and just maintains a live shot 30 yards wide and pans side to side like it’s The Price Is Right. Somehow, referee Bill Leavy and replay official Charles Stewart were able to see indisputable visual evidence, but surely there was plenty of squinting.
• 49ers at Bengals | 3rd quarter | 6:39 remaining | video. A touchdown catch by 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree was nullified by penalty. Crabtree stepped out of bounds and was then the first to touch the pass, therefore it is an illegal touch penalty. The replay provided did not give a sufficient angle to determine. (It is one of the few penalties that is reviewable, as it is a call related to the sideline/endline.) Field judge Doug Rosenbaum had coverage on the end line; in the video his hat is seen on the endline to mark Crabtree stepping out of bounds.
  6:06 remaining | video. Two plays later, referee Jerome Boger announced a false start penalty on “the entire offensive line.”
• Packers at Bears | 2nd quarter | 2:44 remaining | video. Mike Carey halted the game because of a foreign object (reportedly a sprinkler part) sticking out of the turf, reminiscent of a recent restaurant chain commercial. Although it is hard to hear over Joe Buck’s prattling on like he’s some venue maintenance expert, Carey announced, “There is a dangerous situation down on the field; we will wait until it is repaired by the grounds crew.”

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Entering Week 2, let us know in the comments or @footballzebras if you see anything in this week’s games that seems to be the wrong call. Referee assignments after the jump.

Quick calls

• Browns at Colts | 2nd quarter | :38 remaining. A touchdown run by Peyton Hillis was reviewed and reversed. In a new rule (apparently the first time invoked), a reversal in the final minute of the half that also changes the status of the clock (not running to running), will result in a 10-second runoff. In this case the original ruling (touchdown, clock stopped) was reversed (short in the field of play, clock should be running), the 10 seconds were docked from the game clock. Either team may use one of their timeouts to avoid the 10-second runoff.
• Jaguars at Jets | 1st quarter | 10:33 remaining | video. Referee Scott Green, umpire Bruce Stritesky, and line judge Tom Barnes conference to determine a safety call. If any part of the ball is in the end zone on a sack, it is a safety (contrary to the interpretation by the NFL Network commentators on their highlight video). As it was a scoring play — yes, for safeties, too — it was subjected to video review and upheld. Good call and good mechanics on the field.
  3rd quarter | 2:14 remaining | video at 2:03. An interception return by Jets safety Antonio Cromartie was initially ruled a touchdown, but overturned on replay. Referee Scott Green said that Cromartie crossed the plane of the goal airborne with the ball outside of the corner pylon, making the ball dead ½ yard from the end zone. (Video link of the play itself on NFL.com is “no longer available.”)
• Bears at Saints | 4th quarter | 12:12 remaining | video. A touchdown by Saints running back Darren Sproles was not even reviewed, even though it was obvious that he stepped out before crossing the goal line. Walt Coleman is the referee, and his replay official is Bill Spyksma.
• Raiders at Bills | 4th quarter | 14:15 remaining | video. A 15-yard penalty was assessed on the Raiders bench for a challenge by coach Hue Jackson on a 1-yard touchdown run by Bills running back Fred Jackson. This year, all scoring plays are the exclusive discretion of the replay assistant for requesting a replay review, and challenging a play that cannot be challenged is a penalty. (The challenge is not shown in the video link.)
• Eagles at Falcons | 3rd quarter | 6:41 remaining. Last year the NFL said that flagrant helmet-to-helmet hits would result in suspensions. Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson lowered the boom on Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin. Robinson leveled a similar hit in 2010 against the Eagles, which resulted in a $50,000 fine, which was lowered to $25,000 on appeal. For such a repeat offense, even in a subsequent season, this could be the litmus test to see if the league is serious about these hits.

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Rarely does an assignment of a referee get a post of its own. The elements of irony either missed or intentionally ignored by the officiating department elevates one particular assignment to newsworthy status.

Bill Leavy, the referee in Super Bowl XL (2005 season) between the Steelers and the Seahawks, will officiate Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the Seahawks. The city of Seattle felt victimized by several bad calls, which is nothing new for the homers of a team losing the Big Game in any sport.

Except for this twist: Leavy publicly admitted to the Seahawks last year that his officiating in that game was not up to championship standards:

It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I’ll go to my grave wishing that I’d been better … I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn’t good enough … When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It’s something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it’s difficult.

The admission notwithstanding, Danny O’Neil of The Seattle Times took to Twitter to get readers’ reaction to the assignment. While the city remains “officially offended,” Leavy is still no better than a runner-up for Seattle’s Worst; that honor appears to be reserved for Clayton Bennett, the owner who moved the NBA’s SuperSonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. In another dose of bitter irony to the city, Bennett was named chairman of the NBA relocation committee this year.

We’re back. If you see a call from Week 1 that deserves our attention, add it to the comments section of this post. Referee assignments are after the jump.

Quick calls

• Steelers at Ravens | 1st quarter | 2:47 remaining | video. One of the first uses of the new all-touchdowns-subject-to-review rule reversed a Ravens touchdown in the first quarter. A Ray Rice run was ruled down by contact at the 1, as James Farrior barely touched Rice as he went to the end zone. It doesn’t matter if the touch caused Rice to go to the ground; the mere fact he was touched at a moment when he was stumbling counts as down by contact.
  3rd Quarter | :44 remaining | video. Referee Tony Corrente, trying to break up a fight between these division rivals, took a hard spill to the turf. Corrente continued in the game. According to his former boss, Mike Pereira, he’s doing fine. There was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play, unrelated to Corrente’s fall, against Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Photo credit: @SportingBecky.
• Chiefs at Bills | 2nd Quarter | 12:22 remaining | video at :55. A Chiefs touchdown was taken off the board by the new rule as well. A catch by Leonard Pope was ruled incomplete because he did not have control of the ball as he stepped out of bounds. Chiefs were sacked on the next play, then missed the 48-yard field goal. Costly call, but correct.

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