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Week 3: Packers at Bears

4th quarter | 1:09 remaining | video.

The Packers and Bears have played each other 183 times, dating back to 1921. Surely this series has seen it all.

No one saw that Bears returner Johnny Knox actually caught the punt rather than Devin Hester, who simulated a catch, faking out the entire Packers coverage team. While everyone was rubbing their eyes at what they couldn’t believe they didn’t see, referee Mike Carey was marching the play back on a holding call that also appeared to be a mystery.

This “phantom” call is not easy to see. In fact, the Fox graphic nearly obscured the hold entirely from the only angle that showed it. Clearly, though, Bears linebacker Corey Graham tangled with the Packers “gunner” Jarrett Bush. In the highlighted area of the picture, you can see Bush’s left shoulder is dipping downward as a result of contact from Graham.

Tough, but correct, call on such an otherwise beautifully executed play — one that we probably won’t see again for several years.

Fair-catch signal. I replayed the video and cannot see if Hester made a fair-catch signal. He apparently did not, because the play would have been dead as soon as Knox caught the ball. From Rule 10, Section 2, Article 3 of the NFL Rulebook:

(a) If a player of the receiving team makes a valid fair-catch signal, and the ball is not touched by a player of the kicking team, [and]…

(3) If the ball is caught or recovered by a teammate who did not make a valid fair-catch signal, the ball is dead immediately, but it is not a fair catch.

Photo credit: NFL/Fox Sports

A previous version of this post had the wrong player identified as the Packers gunner.

Did a referee drop a call like the ball in Times Square? Let us know in the comments. Referee assignments are listed after the jump.

Quick Updates

• Cowboys at Eagles. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett attempted to challenge the spot of the ball in relation to a first down. Referee Tony Corrente disallowed the challenge. Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira said that was a mistake by Corrente.
• Rams at Seahawks. The Seahawks got the advantage of a favorable first-down call when referee Jerome Boger signaled the first down before the head linesman placed the ball apparently short of the line to gain (video). It could have been challenged by the Rams, but was not.
• Bears at Packers. Before this morphs into a what-Mike-Pereira-said post, a holding call that was missed in a Bears’ goal-to-go situation was pointed out by Pereira in his “Online O.T.” segment. Pereira, with more visual gadgets at his disposal, gives an informative overview of crew mechanics for covering receivers on pass plays, and explains that the covering official was likely screened by the the Packers safety (video).

read more »

With an unbelievable amount of candor, referee Bill Leavy admitted that he made game-changing mistakes when he officiated Super Bowl XL in February 2006—mistakes that helped propel the Steelers over the Seahawks.

It was immediately branded as one of the worst called Super Bowls in history. The Seattle Times ran a list of six questionable calls that illustrates the frustration on the Seahawks sideline, beyond the frustration with the team’s own performance (see the list below).

Leavy’s comments came during the preseason rounds by the officials to brief players in training camp of new rule changes. Leavy apologized for, in his estimation, two late-stretch calls that helped the Steelers put the game away:

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.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren addressed a crowd in Seattle after the loss saying he “didn’t know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well.” The NFL reviewed his comments, but did not fine him. However, the conspiracy machine was churning so hard, that NFL spokeman Greg Aiello released this statement two days after the game:

The game was properly officiated, including, as in most NFL games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials.

That, essentially, still rings true. Leavy and his crew failed on a few calls, but it is a part of the game. There were no misapplications of the rules or crew mechanics, so all the calls in question were judgment calls. Good teams are able to overcome bad calls just as much as adverse weather conditions. For instance, a questionable holding penalty can be blamed on the referee, but an interception thrown three plays later also has to balance out the conversation.

The Seattle Times “6 Key Plays”

• Offensive pass interference nullifies touchdown
• Dropped pass could have been ruled catch & fumble
• Replay review upheld Steelers touchdown
• Touchdown reception denied for contact with pylon
• Questionable holding call nullifies first-and-goal
• Illegal block called when it appears there was no contact

Week 1: Titans at Steelers

The Tenneseean is reporting Titans coach Jeff Fisher will send a tape to the league office alleging  an uncalled holding penalty on the Steelers that would have resulted in a safety. Titans defensive end Javon Kearse was grabbed by Steelers lineman Willie Colon in the end zone during a second-quarter play.

“Sometimes those things are missed and I was surprised that that one was missed,” Fisher said. “But those types of things in games like these can have an impact on the outcome of the game.” The Titans are expected to bring the play to the NFL’s attention for its weekly review of officials.

Bill Leavy was the referee covering the play.

Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs. Cardinals

Video from NFL.com

The team safety awarded to the Cardinals — by virtue of the holding penalty enforced in the end zone — was the sixth safety in Super Bowl history. But, it was the first due to penalty.