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7 days ago
Rarely do officials make public statements about missed calls, but in Sunday's Dallas at Green Bay game, they did just that. What's more, referee Jeff Triplette conceded he had made a mistake. The call in question came with 12 minutes to play and the Cowboys trailing, 10-0. Quarterback Tony Romo fumbled on a blitz by cornerback Charles Woodson, and running back Felix Jones appeared to roll onto the ball for the recovery before defensive tackle Johnny Jolly ripped it out of his grasp. Linebacker Clay Matthews finally recovered at the 3-yard line, and the Packers scored soon thereafter for a 17-0 lead. Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips threw his challenge flag after the recovery, and officials began the review process. Turns out the challenge should not have been allowed in the first place because league rules stipulate recovery of a loose ball in the field of play is not reviewable. "It
14 days ago
Officials in Sunday's Washington-Atlanta game called the Redskins twice for personal fouls after hits on quarterback Matt Ryan. While both infractions cost Washington 15 yards, only one appeared warranted. That was the call 50 seconds before halftime, when defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander got to Ryan -- who had gotten rid of the ball -- on third down and three. Alexander wrapped his arms around Ryan, and both players went to the ground. Officials called roughing the passer, based on what at the time looked like Alexander driving Ryan to the ground. But go around the league on Sunday, and I'll bet you'll see many similar plays officials deemed clean. In this instance, Alexander did not lead with his helmet. He did not toss Ryan down. The play in no way seemed malicious, yet officials called it as such. If falling on top of the quarterback were grounds for roughing, you
21 days ago
Officials made one of the most puzzling calls of the season during Philadelphia's 40-17 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. Although the ruling did not directly affect the outcome, it provided yet another opportunity for football fans to debate questionable officiating and to wonder if replay really does make a difference. In case you missed it, quarterback Donovan McNabb fumbled as he was being sacked in the third quarter, and defensive tackle Fred Robbins picked up the ball and began running. After 11 yards, Robbins lateraled to teammate Osi Umenyiora, who ran the remaining 37 yards for a touchdown. Eagles Coach Andy Reid challenged the call that McNabb had fumbled, and after officials viewed the play, they determined while McNabb did indeed fumble, Robbins's lateral was actually an illegal forward pass. Thus the touchdown was overturned, and the Giants wound up with possession at the Eagles 42. That
28 days ago
Most of the time an apparent missed call doesn't affect the outcome of a game directly. That wasn't the case in Sunday's Saints-Dolphins thriller at Land Shark Stadium. The Dolphins had built what seemed a comfortable 24-10 lead -- although virtually no lead is completely safe against the high-powered Saints -- when in the third quarter, New Orleans safety Darren Sharper intercepted Chad Henne and scored on a 42-yard return. As Sharper got inside the 3-yard line, he began to lose control of the ball. But officials ruled touchdown, an indication they believed Sharper had broken the plane of the goal line before fumbling out of the end zone. The Dolphins challenged the call, arguing Sharper lost the ball before crossing the goal line and that the play should be ruled a touchback. When they lost the challenge, the Saints had trimmed the deficit to seven, and they rode that
35 days ago
Update: Dante Wesley suspended for one game by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Carolina Panthers special teams player Dante Wesley was at the center of controversy on Sunday after launching himself into Tampa Bay's Clifton Smith, leaving the Pro Bowl punt returner with a concussion. An official threw a penalty flag immediately after Wesley made contact with Smith, who walked off the field under his own power. Wesley was ejected for the hit, and the incident triggered a confrontation among players from both teams near the middle of the field before officials could restore order. What made the play completely unacceptable and indefensible was that Smith appeared to have called for a fair catch, and yet Wesley still found it necessary to leave his feet and lead with his shoulder into Smith's head and neck. "I felt like really the refs could have controlled that situation," Wesley told reporters after the
