Drop us a line in the comments regarding any calls you disagree with in Week 9. Sorry, we’ve not updated the discussion during the past couple of weeks. Barring any major news this week, we will backtrack and cover some of the call from Weeks 7 and 8. Referee assignments for this week are after the jump.
ASSIGNMENTS
Sunday, Nov. 7
- Buccaneers at Falcons: Terry McAulay
- Saints at Panthers: Ed Hochuli
- Bears at Bills: Gene Steratore
- Jets at Lions: Alberto Riverón
- Dolphins at Ravens: John Parry
- Patriots at Browns: Clete Blakeman
- Chargers at Texans: Mike Carey
- Cardinals at Vikings: Bill Leavy
- Giants at Seahawks: TBA
- Chiefs at Raiders: TBA
- Colts at Eagles: TBA
- Cowboys at Packers: Walt Coleman
Monday, Nov. 8
- Steelers at Bengals: Ron Winter
Off this week: Jerome Boger, Walt Anderson
Jeff Triplette’s crew made several bad calls and mistakes during the Chiefs-Raiders game:
1) After a KC touchdown on a 3rd down play was reviewed and overturned, the ball was spotted at the 1 yard line, but the sticks stated it was 4th down. However, the first down marker on the previous play was the 3 or 4 yard line, so the spot at the 1 should have resulted in a 1st and Goal.
The KC sideline screamed at the crew, but were unable to get their attention before the “4th and goal” play was snapped. The play resulted in an offensive holding call, now placing the ball at the 11. After a conference between the KC sideline and the officials, Triplette corrected the mistake and stated it was now 1st and Goal at the 11.
Though ultimately, the mistake was corrected, a play was run as a 4th down play that should have been a 1st down.
2 After a fumbled punt by the Raiders in the 4th quarter, which the Chiefs recovered, the crew convened for what seemed like a minute or longer, giving no signal of who recovered the fumble, or even confirming that the fumble had occurred, making it seem like none of the officials had a clear view of the play. The TV replay showed that the returner’s knee was down prior to the fumble.
Since the Raiders were out of challenges, it may have been wise to call the runner down by contact, and allow the Chiefs to challenge so Triplette could have a better look. I know that’s not the line of thinking referees are supposed to have, but it didn’t seem like any of the crew had any idea what happened on the play, given the length of time they took to make a call. It would seem to me that a good referee would see the uncertainty among his crew and make a call that would result in a review. But I guess NFL officials are meant to interpret the rules as best they can, and not think.
3) During the Raiders’ game-tying drive inside two minutes, a replay to review a catch was called from the booth, but AFTER the next play had been run, in which Jason Campbell spiked the ball. We are told repeatedly on television that a play is no longer reviewable once the next play is run, but Triplette went under the hood anyway. The catch was confirmed, so the play stood, but this time warp of revising a play after the following play occurs, as in example 1 above, makes Triplette and his crew seem like unsure amateurs who don’t know how to keep order within a game.
Or maybe all these calls were fine and I’m just angry that the Chiefs lost and my lead in a pool was handed over to a perennial basement-dweller.