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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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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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Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs. Packers

Here are the officiating assignments for Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, listed with the head referee they worked under  in the regular season:

• R — #66 Walt Anderson (15th year, 8th as referee)
• U — #31 Chad Brown (19th year, Ed Hochuli)
• HL — #79 Kent Payne (7th year, Carl Cheffers)
• LJ — #35 John Hussey (9th year, Pete Morelli)
• FJ — #67 Doug Rosenbaum (10th year, Jerome Boger)
• SJ — #116 Mike Weatherford (9th year, Gene Steratore)
• BJ — #93 Scott Helverson (8th year, Scott Green)
• Replay Assistant — Tommy Moore (Mike Carey)
• Video Operator —Bud Alexander (Carey)
• Alternates — Jerome Boger (R), Rich Hall (U), Tom Symonette  (LJ), Gary Cavaletto (FJ), Dino Paganelli (BJ)

This is Anderson’s second Super Bowl. After the 2000 season, he officiated in Super Bowl XXXV as a line judge. This will be Anderson’s 14th postseason assignment; in addition to the two Super Bowls , he has worked three conference championships, two divisional playoffs, and seven wild cards.

This is the second Super Bowl for Brown (who officiated with Anderson in XXXV) and Helverson (XLII, 2007 season).

This postseason, Hussey and Weatherford officiated in the wild card round, and Brown officiated a divisional playoff. Of the alternates, Symonette and Paganelli officiated the AFC championship, Cavaletto in the divisional playoffs, and Rich Hall in the wild card. Boger is the only alternate not to have a postseason assignment.

To receive a Super Bowl assignment, officials must be the highest rated at their position and must have worked a conference title game. (In order to be a conference title official, one must be ranked in the top 3 in their position, have five years’ NFL experience, and have worked a postseason game in a prior year.)

In our coverage this year, Hussey was part of the infamous 9-yard first down the Steelers were awarded against the Jets in Week 15.

The Zebra Blog, unfortunately, will not be able to live-blog the Super Bowl, but please leave your comments on the officiating here.

File photo of Anderson from 2009 courtesy of Life.

Jets at Steelers

Ed Hochuli is the referee (full crew) in his sixth conference championship game.

Final | Steelers 24-19. Penalties: Jets 6 for 50 yards, Steelers 4 for 25 yards, 1 penalty declined (against the Jets). There were two replay reviews: a coach’s challenge (Jets) was reversed, while a booth review was upheld.

3rd Quarter | 13:01 remaining | Steelers 24-0. Jets called a timeout with the play clock about to expire. Quarterback Mark Sanchez pleaded with Hochuli that the play clock was not properly set. Sometime during the commercial, and with little explanation, the play clock was reset to 25 seconds, and the Jets were refunded their timeout. Not sure what caused this, but it’s the third mistake in officiating mechanics in this game.

2nd Quarter | 1:13 remaining | Steelers 24-0 | video. A hit on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez resulted in a sack-fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The replay assistant called for a review of the play, as it appeared to me that Sanchez’s arm was moving forward slightly. If his arm was moving forward, it would be ruled an incomplete pass, even though the ball ultimately went backwards (update: see comments for the rule). Hochuli upheld the fumble and the touchdown, saying that he determined Sanchez was not yet moving his arm forward when he was hit.

2nd Quarter | 12:59 remaining | Steelers 7-0. An odd situation as a measurement call clearly disadvantaged the offense. On a 4th-and-1, the Steelers tried to take advantage of a potential coverage mismatch by trying to quickly snap the ball for the next play. Hochuli stopped the clock and declared a measurement was in order. Now, the Steelers needed a yard, but it was closer to 4½ feet, and clearly short of a first down. Generally, a referee will grant the offense’s request for a measurement for a short distance to determine the official distance needed (rather than to see if a first down is attained). But when the offense is trying to take advantage by a hurry-up play, and the offense is comfortable with the fourth-down ruling, what difference does it make how far away it is?

Seemingly calling a different play on the restart, the Steelers were intercepted. Second instance of questionable mechanics in this game by this all-star crew.

1st Quarter | 8:50 remaining | No score. Still the first drive of the game and Steelers receiver made a catch at the 2-yard line. Jets coach Rex Ryan challenged the ruling, and referee Ed Hochuli overturned it on replay, saying the ball touched the ground. Ever so slightly, too.

1st Quarter | 11:32 remaining | No score. A penalty flag was thrown for an ineligible receiver downfield in error on a play where Ben Roethlisberger threw a backwards pass. I believe that the call came from a downfield official who would not have had an angle to determine a backwards pass from 30 yards away. But, that official was able to determine the reputed ineligible player from the distance.

1st Quarter |11:59 remaining | No score. A first down was granted to the Steelers on their opening drive on the basis that the receiver’s forward progress was stopped at a certain point. CBS commentator Phil Simms said the spot could be challenged, but I do not think it would be allowed on a forward-progress ruling, even if it relates to a first-down spot.

Packers at Bears

Terry McAulay is the referee (full crew) in his fifth conference championship game.

Final | Packers 21-14. Penalties: Packers 6 for 40 yards, Bears 9 for 89 yards, none declined or offsetting. Two replay reviews: one coach’s challenge (Bears) was reversed and one booth review was upheld.

4th Quarter | 2:33 remaining | Packers 21-14. After much deliberation by referee Terry McAulay and his crew, an intentional grounding call was penalized on Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie. While there was no receiver at the location where the pass landed, a receiver (no sure who) was running a route that would have put him there. Generally, off-target passes are not penalized as such, and difficult to do in post-play reconstruction by the officials without the benefit of replay. In my opinion, this should not have been penalized.

4th Quarter | 9:32 remaining | Packers 14-7. A punt by the Packers was ruled a touchback because the player covering the punt stepped in the end zone. He needed to establish two feet in bounds prior to touching the ball. By diving for the ball, he did not re-establish in the field of play.

4th Quarter | 12:05 remaining | Packers 14-0. A completion to Bears receiver Johnny Knox was ruled down inside the 1-yard line, with side judge Greg Meyer right next to him who made the call of out-of-bounds. A replay showed that Knox did not step out of bounds, and a touchdown should have scored, but it was not challenged by the Bears. Bears scored a touchdown on the next play.

3rd Quarter | :55 remaining | Packers 14-0. The Bears have placed their third quarterback, Caleb Hanie, in the game just prior to the fourth quarter. If Hanie was listed as an “inactive” third quarterback, then Bears quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Todd Collins are prohibited from returning, even if Hanie is injured. However, sometimes a team will have all three quarterbacks as “active,” which places no restrictions on the third quarterback. (See the Zebra Blog rules school on third quarterbacks.)

We are checking to see if the Bears inactive list specifies Hanie as the inactive third quarterback. (Update, postgame: The gamebook lists seven inactives for the Bears, instead of the usual eight. So Hanie was indeed classified as the inactive third quarterback, who under rule is allowed to enter the game prior to the fourth quarter as long as the other two quarterbacks are benched for the remainder of the game.)

3rd Quarter | 8:35 remaining | Packers 14-0. An interception by the Packers’ Earl Bennett should have been ruled a trapped ball, as it clearly touched the ground. Bears coach Lovie Smith had to use a challenge, and the play was overturned on replay. Not sure of the angle the covering officials had on the play, but that was a huge miss that had to be corrected on replay.

2nd Quarter |  :32 remaining | Packers 14-0 | video. An interception at the 3-yard line by Packers cornerback Sam Shields was placed under review by the replay assistant (2nd play in video clip at :40). Two elements of this play were in dispute: (1) did Shields maintain possession throughout the process of the catch, and (2) did Packers receiver Johnny Knox contact Shields after he caught the ball. If Knox did make contact, Shields would have been ruled down at the 3-yard line, rather than being able to get up and run out to the 11-yard line.

Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira said that the interception should have been overturned. I was focused on the down-by-contact ruling with the limited number of replays the top Fox crew provided, so I cannot comment on the process of the catch. I believe that if you rule that the catch stands, Shields should be ruled down at the 3. (Update, post-game: Looking at the NFL.com clip, I didn’t see anything decisive to overturn the interception, as it appears that Shields got his hand under the ball. Not sure if Pereira based his decision on another replay that was provided to him while we were in commercial.)

2nd Quarter | 1:52 remaining | Packers 14-0. After a fairly quiet and fast paced first half, an infrequent ruling came into play on a fumble by Jay Cutler. A fumble with less than two minutes remaining in either half cannot be advanced by any player on the offense, other than the player who fumbled. Since the ball was recovered behind Cutler, the spot of the recovery becomes the dead-ball spot, because it is more disadvantageous to the offense. From the rulebook, Rule 8, Section 7, Article 6:

Fumble After Two-Minute Warning. If a fumble by either team occurs after the two-minute warning:

(a) The ball may be advanced by any opponent.

(b) The player who fumbled is the only player of his team who is permitted to recover and advance the ball.

(c) If the recovery or catch is by a teammate of the player who fumbled, the ball is dead, and the spot of the next snap is the spot of the fumble, or the spot of the recovery if the spot of the recovery is behind the spot of the fumble.

2nd Quarter | 11:13 remaining | Packers 14-0 | video. Tight call made by line judge Mark Perlman on the touchdown by Packers running back James Starks. It was quick, decisive, and correct.

Jets at Patriots

Bill Leavy is the referee (full crew).

2nd Quarter, 5:46 remaining. Patriots coach Bill Belichick challenged a juggled catch by Jets receiver Santonio Holmes. Although it was just a five-yard pass, it made the difference between a first down and a 4th-and-5. Holmes was able to get his hand under the ball without it contacting the ground. Unlike yesterday’s call against the Falcons’ Michael Jenkins who gained control out of bounds, Holmes was in the field, so he was able to fully gain control when he was on the ground.Replay review upheld the call.

Seahawks at Bears

Alberto Riverón is the referee (full crew).

Not much to report from this game. A very cleanly called game all around. This is evident in that Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira was fairly silent throughout the game. The only time I recall hearing from Pereira was about the NFL considering extra padding to the knees, thighs and hips while Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant was injured on the field.

Packers at Falcons

John Parry is the referee.

3rd Quarter, 7:41 remaining. Packers coach Mike McCarthy challenged a 23-yard reception by Falcons receiver Michael Jenkins. When Jenkins gets both feet down following a catch, there must be a recognizable amount of time that he holds possession of the ball. In this case, because he is hit right away on the second foot going down, and the ball is sliding around just after the hit, Jenkins did not hold the ball long enough. In replay, an official is to look at this type of catch-and-control call in real speed, rather than slow-motion video.

2nd Quarter, 12:12 remaining (video). Jordy Nelson, while going for the end zone contacted the pylon on the goal line. While the pylon is technically fully out of bounds, a touchdown counts because as soon as the ball (and not a player’s body part) contacts the pylon, it has broken the plane of the end zone. If Nelson contacted the pylon with a part of his body before extending the ball over the goal line, a touchdown is not scored.

Pregame. The Packers were apparently disadvantaged in Week 12 when they played at the Falcons because the Georgia Dome’s video feed to the coaches’ box was allegedly delayed. This could have cost the Packers a chance at a replay challenge. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the NFL found the equipment to be operating properly.

Ravens at Steelers

Jeff Triplette is heading up a mixed crew: three of Ed Hochuli’s officials are on the squad.

3rd Quarter, 11:37 remaining. Odd explanation of a call by Triplette, because a Steelers’ punt was first touched by one of the Steelers before Webb grabbed the ball and ran with it. Triplette called it “illegal touching,” which is technically correct, even if it implies there was a penalty. Because the Steelers touched the ball first, the Ravens had the option of taking the ball at the spot of the touch or at the spot of Webb’s runback.

End of first half. Busy, busy half for the officiating crew. That Ravens touchdown could have easily been nullified if one of the officials blew his whistle inadvertently. Despite the fact that it is a mixed crew, the officials are working well communicating with each other. Two replay reviews so far: one upheld, one reversal. Ravens 3 penalties for 52 yards, Steelers 6 for 68. (Ravens also committed a double foul on one play, so the Steelers declined one of them.)

2nd Quarter, 15:00 remaining. A CBS graphic showed that this is one of the most penalized quarters in the postseason for 20 years. The officials gained 106 yards on both teams.

1st Quarter, 1:07 remaining (video). Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lost the ball after pump faking twice. Most players assumed it to be an incomplete pass, but Ravens defensive end Cory Redding picked the ball up, playing it as a fumble, and scored an easy touchdown. It was hard to tell, but Triplette did throw a beanbag to indicate a fumble. Also of note, this is the second play in the first quarter that involved a player continuing the play in absence of a whistle.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin challenged the fumble, but it was confirmed correctly by replay review. (Roethlisberger did not protest the call, as was noted by CBS commentator Greg Gumble, but unnoticed by Roethlisberger’s coach.) Before the first quarter ended, the Steelers exhausted their ability to challenge any plays through the duration of the game.

1st Quarter, 3:00 remaining. Ravens receiver T.J. Houshmandzedeh was lobbying unsuccessfully for a roughness penalty on Ike Taylor. Both players exchanged headbutts. At this point both teams are playing like division rivals, but the officials need to make sure they have control of this game. So far, many more penalties than any of the wild card games at this point.

1st Quarter, 12:10 remaining. Steelers receiver Hines Ward received an unnecessary roughness penalty, however in that exchange,Ed Reed of the Ravens grabbed his facemask. There should have been an offsetting facemask foul.

1st Quarter, 15:00 remaining. Right out of the chute, a replay review. This was hard to discern at full speed, so the officials do get credit for making a good call with a replay assist. The opening kickoff was returned by the Ravens’ Lardarius Webb, who was tackled by kicker Sean Suisham. Webb got up, not hearing a whistle, and ran for an additional14 yards. The original ruling was that Webb rolled over Suisham, without a part of his body other than his hand touching the ground. Webb’s elbow did graze the ground, so the ball was returned to the spot of that tackle.

Ravens at Chiefs

Mike Carey is the referee.

1st Quarter, 6:26 remaining. The Chiefs challenged the spot of the ball in relation to the first-down marker. Since Ravens running back Ray Rice landed with his hand first, he was not considered down until another part of his body contacted the ground. Ravens got the first down, which was upheld by replay.

3rd Quarter, :21 remaining. A ruling of a sack-fumble by Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb on Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was challenged by the Chiefs. Under the controversial so-called tuck rule, Cassel was found to be still in the act of passing, so Webb knocking the ball out of Cassel’s hand should have resulted in an incomplete pass, rather than a fumble. Carey reversed the on-field ruling to an incomplete pass, marking the first replay reversal of the playoffs an the end of the eleventh quarter of this weekend games.

Packers at Eagles

Pete Morelli is the referee.

4th Quarter, 4:08 remaining. On a two-point conversion attempt, a huge administrative error was averted. A pass to Eagles receiver Brent Celek was completed for two points, however he stepped out of bounds prior to catching the pass (video). A penalty was assessed because a player who steps out of bounds cannot be the first player to touch a pass (illegal-touching-of-a-pass penalty). Celek caught the ball after he returned to (and re-established himself in) the field of play, however Morelli ruled that the conversion try was over. This would be correct if illegal touching is a loss-of-down penalty.

Before the ensuing kickoff, Eagles coach Andy Reid protested that his team should get another chance at the conversion try. One unidentified member of the officiating crew corrected the call, that the five-yard penalty must be assessed and the conversion try attempted from the 7-yard line. The point was moot as the Eagles failed on the second try, but thankfully the error was corrected in a timely fashion, even if slightly delayed.

4th Quarter, 1:06 remaining. Celek was injured on an incomplete pass later in the quarter. When an injury occurs in the final two minutes of the game, a team is charged a timeout. However, since the Eagles had already used all three timeouts, they were granted a fourth, free of penalty. According to Rule 4, Section 5, Article 4:

(d) No yardage penalty will be assessed for the first excess team timeout.

4th Quarter, :33 remaining. Tramon Williams intercepted Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in the end zone to seal the victory, but it could have reversed fortunes back to the Eagles. Williams left the end zone without being ruled down by contact, so the play continued to be live (video). If he had spiked or otherwise let go of the ball, it would have been considered a fumble. Fortunately for Williams, he went to the ground at the 4-yard line to end the play.

Saints at Seahawks

Walt Coleman is the referee, heading up Terry McAulay’s crew.

First half. No replay reviews. Saints have 4 penalties for 18 yards, Seahawks 3/14, no penalties declined.

Hasselblock in the back? Credit: NFL/NBC Sports

4th Quarter, 3:38 remaining. On the amazing touchdown run by Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, did quarterback Matt Hasselbeck throw an illegal block in the back? No penalty was called, likely because the officials determined the Saints defender wasn’t knocked over (he, instead, dove for Lynch) or otherwise disadvantaged (video, after Lynch passes the 30-yard line).

4th Quarter, 1:34 remaining. In spite of help from behind, Saints running back DeShawn Wynn failed on his two-point conversion attempt (video, forward to 9:01). With a boost from a lineman Jermon Bushrod to keep Wynn on his feet, if the conversion scored, it would have been nullified by an assisting-the-runner penalty. From the rulebook, Rule 12, Section 1, Article 5:

No offensive player may … lift a runner to his feet or pull him in any direction at any time.

Had there been a score, it would have been a re-try from the 12-yard line.

Final. Not a busy night at all for replay official Earnie Frantz. No challenges, no replays for the entire game, and nothing that he missed in the last two minutes that was worthy of a review. Easy money.

Jets at Colts

Gene Steratore is the referee.

1st Quarter, 13:29. No challenges in Game 1 of the doubleheader; first challenge in the first two minutes of the second one. Colts coach Jim Caldwell challenged whether Jets punt returner Santonio Holmes was the first player to touch a punted ball. Holmes was oddly hovering over the rolling ball, because if he touched it, even accidentally, it would have made a live ball, which the Colts would have recovered. Steratore upheld the play on the field that the ball was first touched by the Colts.

2nd Quarter, 8:21 remaining. A punt to the goal line appeared to be saved from a sure touchback by the Jets, but field judge Terry Brown, side judge Michael Banks, and back judge Greg Steed conferenced at length at the goal line before ruling touchback. Replay showed that the Jets coverage player put his right hand on the goal line, making the ball “in” the end zone by extension.

End of first half. Other than the replay called in the opening minutes of the first quarter, no other replays were called for. Jets have been penalized 3 times for 15 yards; the Colts have not been penalized.

4th Quarter, :40 remaining. A catch by Jets receiver Braylon Edwards with a fumble and self-recovery was reviewed. Steratore said that Edwards completed the catch with the third foot down, followed then by the fumble.