Did the Lions Get a Game "Stealered" from Them?

[savvyman]

Here is the now famous No Pass interference play where the officials reversed the earlier pass interference call:




And here is the not quite as famous no call of what is apparently supposed to be an automatic 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty for running on to the field with your helmet off:





I know people will say that "it's only one play" - true - but the play itself was so monumental - and if called correctly it would have been Detroit's ball - 1st down on Dallas 14 with the score Detroit 20 Dallas 17 at the time - and I think more than likely we would have had another outcome of this game.

[savvyman]

Former Vice-President of officiating for the NFL weighs in and says conclusively that the officials blew the call on a clear pass interference (and also defensive holding) penalty.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdAKk42OzVw&feature=youtu.be

[NorthHawk]

Probably.
However we'll never know how it might have otherwise turned out.
Detroit might have got a TD, but they might also have turned the ball over the next play.
We do know it changed the course of the game, but to what degree is the question.

[mykc14]

I certainly wouldn't call it 'getting stealered' as that would require multiple bad calls throughout the game. With that being said it was a big call on a big play and if I were a Detroit fan I would be pretty ticked.

[RiverDog]

It was a bad call made worse when they had the play correctly called then upon consideration, picked up the flag.

But IMO the real turning point in that game was the horrible punt that should have backed up Dallas inside their own 20 that gave them a short field. If the Lions need someone to blame for their woes, they need go no further than the mirror on the wall.

[NorthHawk]

But they wouldn't have had to punt if the correct calls were made.
It was a fustercluck with the wrong original call, Dez Bryant coming onto the field and not penalized, and Bryant again being on the field without his helmet. At least one of those calls should have been made as one of the Officials herded him back to the sidelines, so he had to know Bryant was violating the rules.

[burrrton]

It's one that I still haven't figured out. How in the hell does one guy see it properly then another jagoff runs in and overrules him??

Since *when* is that how it *ever* plays out in an NFL game?

Like someone else said, XL was a whole different ballgame, with every single call going against the same team (and with multiple examples of the other team doing the same or worse that went uncalled), but if DET wants to cry about that call, I think they're entirely excused for doing so.

Bizarre call that they went out of their way to fck up.

[depaashaas]

It's not visible on this video but on TV you could clearly see that the lion guy was having a hold on cowgirls face mask just before the ball got there, not sure how a offensive PI penalty would have helped lions out

[burrrton]

It's not visible on this video but on TV you could clearly see that the lion guy was having a hold on cowgirls face mask just before the ball got there, not sure how a offensive PI penalty would have helped lions out

It wouldn't have. What are you talking about??

[depaashaas]

It wouldn't have. What are you talking about??[/quote]

The second part about offensive PI was supposed to be taken with tongue in cheek but there was clearly offensive PI with holding face mask. Why they picked up the flag is beyond me if anything it should be off setting penalties as it looked to me there was also defensive PI

[Zorn76]

My vote: No.

We all know the call was bogus, but Detroit still had multiple opportunities to put this game away, yet only scored three points the last 30 min of the contest.

That's called not finishing, which amounts to Lion's playoff football.

Meanwhile, Dallas will fall next week in Lambeau anyway.

Enjoy it, 'boys, cause it ain't gonna last long.

EDIT: Dez Bryant should've absolutely been flagged for running out on the field as well.

[c_hawkbob]

I'm sayin' yes. The NFL is not above nudging a game toward an outcome that sets up such a marque match up as Cowboys/Packers.

[monkey]

I have to say that, it looks more like face guarding (a college penalty but not an NFL penalty) than interference, as the official explained. No doubt this was a strange one though.
He got it wrong, but in all honesty it wasn't as bad as I keep hearing. It was just strange the way it happened.

Guess I am saying, yes, it was a bad call, but no, the game wasn't Stealered from them. The Lions did what they always do, they "Lioned" themselves, by crapping the bed in a big game. This time they did it with more flair as they did it with a lead.
Lions are too pathetic for me to care about at all, they deserve to lose for being such a bunch of chumps, such a bunch of dirty, mental cases, who fold and or cheat whenever the going gets rough.
They find ways to choke.

[c_hawkbob]

Even if it wasn't interference it was without question an automatic 15 yards and a first for the Dallas player (Dez?) running onto the field to argue the call without his helmet. That's not a gray area or a judgement call or nothing, but the official just motioned him back to the sideline.

[kalibane]

Monkey,

Hitchens' clearly makes contact with and impedes Pettigrew's right arm before the ball arrives. If he had turned around to look for the ball you can argue that the contact was incidental. But because Hitchens never makes a play on the ball and at the same time physically hinders Pettigrew to make a play prior to the ball getting there, it's a PI.

All in all the Lions have themselves to blame for only scoring 6 points on that defense over the last 3 quarters but the refs blew that call for sure. And yes the lack of a Penalty on Dez makes it all moot. Should have been first down Lions.

[PasadenaHawk]

Clearly a very bad call, or rather reversal. I wouldn't go so far as to compare it to SB40 though. What was up with Detroit's punter?!? I would have gone for it on every 4th down after his first two punts. Pathetic.

I still think Dallas has a good chance of beating Green Bay.

[Hawktown]

It's not visible on this video but on TV you could clearly see that the lion guy was having a hold on cowgirls face mask just before the ball got there, not sure how a offensive PI penalty would have helped lions out

I think this is what you speak of. I don't know how to put the GIF in a thread???? https://vine.co/v/OdD5hWMBK2q

[Hawktown]

looks to me from this angle that the lions receiver committed the penalty to begin with.

[Hawktawk]

Even if it wasn't interference it was without question an automatic 15 yards and a first for the Dallas player (Dez?) running onto the field to argue the call without his helmet. That's not a gray area or a judgement call or nothing, but the official just motioned him back to the sideline.

I'm 100%conspiracy theorist on this one. I've seen flags picked up many times. In the NFC title game in 2005 Steve Smith scored on a punt return vs. Seattle. The play was brought back on a block in the back, legit call. Hochuli got halfway through announcing the penalty then stopped, had a conference and the call was reversed. Holmgren's head about popped off. It was a clear manipulation of the game.

MNF in 2012 Kuechly held Gronk in the end zone on the final play of the game. Flag was picked up, again its inexplicable. The postgame narrative was "Cam Newton's fabulous marquee win".

But yesterday...Obvious PI announced to the crowd in its entirety. Dez with no helmet. Then a couple of ticky tack penalties on Detroit defenders on the ensuing drive extending it. That sequence of no call on 2 or 3 infractions, call, call was huge. And its a false premise to say the Lions only put up 3 points. That call puts them in easy FG range with all the momentum and the lead on a day they were really not having a lot of trouble moving the ball. The unsportsmanlike would have put them inside the 15. We can play the could a should a would a game forever, just like Stealer fans did after XL. Detroit got majorly hosed.
I suspect Goodell would like to see Dalla$ in the $B so Hawks fans should be very nervous about that if they wind up in Seattle for the NFC Championship. MOF they may want to eliminate us from the equation this weekend. Goodell hates us with a passion and what better way to humiliate Seattle and throw their freight train off the tracks than losing to an 8 win team at home? Watch the refs....
And more replay isn't the answer either. Especially with Blandino and the mother ship in NY controlling every game. Blandino was filmed exiting the Jerry Jones party bus on the Sunset strip during preseason. He has no credibility at this point.

[kalibane]

looks to me from this angle that the lions receiver committed the penalty to begin with.

Might want to hit that optometrist and get things checked out.

[Futureite]

Jesus. It was really only a bad call because the flag was picked up. If it's not thrown in the first place this would never even be discussed.

And it did not seal anything for the Lions. There were more than 8 min left at the time and it's equally likely that they just kick a field goal. In that case they'd still have lost.

The problem with debating bad calls is that morons from the opposing side will always pick 5 or 6 noncalls that only they saw but no one else did which supposedly jobbed their team - "Oh ya, what about the facemask on the gunner 5 yds out of bounds after the play was over on the punt in the first qtr that wasn't called!"

Even if this were an obvious foul OR it ended the game (neither of which is true) we can all at least rest easy knowing Golden Tate's Karma has been exacted. In fact, when asked about the PI, Hitchens said "I don't know what choo talkin bout" .

[Hawktawk]

Jesus. It was really only a bad call because the flag was picked up. If it's not thrown in the first place this would never even be discussed.

And it did not seal anything for the Lions. There were more than 8 min left at the time and it's equally likely that they just kick a field goal. In that case they'd still have lost.

The problem with debating bad calls is that morons from the opposing side will always pick 5 or 6 noncalls that only they saw but no one else did which supposedly jobbed their team - "Oh ya, what about the facemask on the gunner 5 yds out of bounds after the play was over on the punt in the first qtr that wasn't called!"

Even if this were an obvious foul OR it ended the game (neither of which is true) we can all at least rest easy knowing Golden Tate's Karma has been exacted. In fact, when asked about the PI, Hitchens said "I don't know what choo talkin bout" .

I remember you in here whining about a flag thrown for legitimate roughing of our QB vs the whiners. You have no credibility whatsoever on the issue. Talk about a moron, moron.

The Boys got a boost yesterday, a couple of them including one of the most bizarre, brutally officiated sequences in NFL playoff history. Reversing a correct PI call and simultaneously failing to flag a clear foul for unsportsmanlike changed Detroit's field position from first down on about the 12 to 4th down on the 50.It was a huge swing in the game.

Momentum is a huge factor. It cannot be accounted for when trying to reverse engineer a prediction of the hypothetical outcome of a game that was mangled by officials at a critical moment.

[kalibane]

I've had a talk with Doc Brown and he said you'd be welcome to jump in his Delorean and travel back a month ago and have a talk with yourself. Better yet travel back a year ago after the NFC Championship and talk to yourself so we never even have to point out what a hypocrite you were a month ago.

[Hawk Sista]

NO. This does not come close to the horrible officiating in XL where there were multiple horrible calls that took points off the board for one team and gave points and BS field position to the other. Objectively, there were at least 5 + game changing calls in XL that have been apologized for by Mr. Bill Leavy himself. This Lions debacle was not that! It was BS, however, and I would be upset were I a Lions fan.

The call should have been offsetting penalties for the offensive hands to the face (if that is a thing - if it isn't....it was a DPI). At best for the Cowboys it should have been to repeat the down. BUT, numbnuts Dez Bryant charged on the field sans helmet which should have been a 15 yarder. So, IMHO, they would have had a first down 15 yards closer to winning. That said, there were 8 minutes left in the game and the Lions laid a giant egg. They gave up a 4th and 6 and fumbled the ball TWICE when they had 2 and a half minutes (with time-outs) to do something about it - this is after another possession where they got exactly nowhere. The refs blew this call/no-call and the Dez Bryant storming the field (watch, he will get a fine), but as has been discussed above, it was NOWHERE near the hosing Seahawks got in XL.

I'd be pretty torqued today were those events in our rear view after a Hawk's loss, nowhere close to the hosing we got in XL...NOWHERE.

[obiken]

I think as one bad call it was worse; to call it then pick up the flag was awful. It think at that point the get another score they win. As a series of calls the Steeler game was worse. I am not like River, Sister, and a lot of others however, that feel we got robbed, the SB comes down to big plays; Willie Parker's run was the defining play not the calls. We lost that SB when Ken Hamlin got his skull cracked in Pioneer square, is a stupid bar fight; he makes that tackle.
Remember, Coaches can lose games, Refs can ruin games, but only players can win games.

[Hawk Sista]

I think we got jobbed with the officiating in that game, and at the time I really had on my tin-foil hat and thought it was because it was the Stealers who have an enormous fan-base. Over time I realize that it was indeed poor officiating, but Matt did not need to throw an INT, Parker's run was epic etc. and that we should have been mentally tougher and over come the penalties.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

We definitely got jobbed by the officiating, but I agree the Steelers made the big plays. The biggest issue? Etric Pruitt. A practice squad safety (at best) out of Southern Miss who got thrust into the biggest game his life when Manuel went down. I feel for him; he was in over his head the minute he stepped on the field. I remember his name because he was the one who wasn't in position for the Parker TD run and the H. Ward TD Pass. Could we have overcome Mr. Pruitt's youth and inexperience? Possibly, but it was that much more difficult with the one sided officiating.

As for the Lions, I think the DPI should have stood, but Dez Bryant should have absolutely been penalized. It was a momentum changer, but the Lions did have ample time to mount a comeback drive at the end, and they blew it. Just not the same as the 2005 SB.

[mykc14]

Apparently Dez coming onto the field was not an automatic penalty like many believe it to be. The rule about player's helmets only applies to the 22 players who were on the field on the previous play. Players coming onto the field to celebrate (or argue, in this case) don't get an automatic penalty it is a judgment call by the officials. In this case they didn't feel like he should be penalized, although they certainly could have.

"But Blandino said that Bryant's actions weren't an automatic penalty as the rule against players taking their helmets off on the field only applies to players in the game at that time."

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/i ... y-hitchens

[burrrton]

Apparently Dez coming onto the field was not an automatic penalty like many believe it to be.

I meant to mention this before- anyone remember where ET was immediately after BeastQuake 2.0 (and what he was, or wasn't, wearing on his head)?

[Hawktawk]

"But Blandino said that Bryant's actions weren't an automatic penalty as the rule against players taking their helmets off on the field only applies to players in the game at that time."

Apparently Dez coming onto the field was not an automatic penalty like many believe it to be. The rule about player's helmets only applies to the 22 players who were on the field on the previous play. Players coming onto the field to celebrate (or argue, in this case) don't get an automatic penalty it is a judgment call by the officials. In this case they didn't feel like he should be penalized, although they certainly could have.
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/i ... y-hitchens

Blandino is a mealy mouthed liar and last August he was Jones drinking buddy in his private party bus which he addressed in an unapologetic fashion this morning.Now a day later the carefully crafted narrative is in place. It wasn't a PI, it was a hold. The call was borderline. Dez being on the field sans helmet wasnt an automatic penalty. Blah Blah Blah. The call was obviously correct. The ball was marked off at the penalty yardage and the call was announced in its entirety to the world.Then NEARLY A MINUTE later the call is summarily overturned with no public explanation and the ball is brought all the way back to the original line of scrimmage. It was a travesty, clearly outside normal function of an NFL officiating crew. Its is without a doubt the most bizarre sequence of events I have ever seen regarding such an obvious call.

But hell no it isn't SB XL. If Seattle had had 1 controversial call in that game they would have rolled Pittsburgh like a doobie and smoked them. XL was 60 minutes of controversial calls robbing Seattle of 7 points, almost 200 yards of offense, and field position on the Pittsburgh 1 yard line in a 14 -10 game. It was also a game of no calls, DD Lewis being tackled by Alan Faneca on the big Ben no TD, Bryce fisher being held to open the hole on the Willie Parker run,a hold on Locklear when the linebacker is clearly off-sides.A blatant horse collar on the MVP with a ref 10 feet away uncalled which would have been a first down reversing the calls the refs had already robbed Seattle on. There were no holding calls at all on Pittsburgh and 4 on Seattle including HOF Tackle Walter Jones. There has never been ANYTHING like that SB and 2 of the calls are listed as top 10 worst all time SB calls. This Hawks team is 50 times as mentally tough as that team and it still would have been a steep mountain to climb on Feb 5th 2006. Holmgrens rhythm team that was the least penalized in the league that year had no chance with that corrupt crew jacking their momentum all night long.

[burrrton]

He may be just trying to do damage control for the rest, but Dez not being flagged for running onto the field seems consistent with what we've seen in the past (which is all I'll say since I'm too lazy to look up the actual rule).

[RiverDog]

But they wouldn't have had to punt if the correct calls were made.
It was a fustercluck with the wrong original call, Dez Bryant coming onto the field and not penalized, and Bryant again being on the field without his helmet. At least one of those calls should have been made as one of the Officials herded him back to the sidelines, so he had to know Bryant was violating the rules.

Agreed. Had they not thrown the flag as the play happened, I wouldn't have had as big of an issue with it. But they had the right call in the first place. If you're not looking back for the ball, you can't so much as touch the receiver w/o drawing a flag, and contact was clearly made. I don't understand how the crew could have talked themselves out of it. The Lions have a legitimate beef IMO.

However, it wasn't a game changing penalty. They still had a 3 point lead at that point with 12 minutes to go in the game and there was no guarantee that the Lions would have gone on to score had that call gone their way. After all, they only scored 2 FG's in 47 minutes of play since scoring TD's on their first two possessions. The Lions made other costly mistakes of which they can't blame the refs for, starting with the shanked punt and followed by the Stafford turnover.

I'm not going to say that they got beat fair and square, but neither am I buying the penalty excuse.

[Futureite]

HawTawk;

Is that why your radio guys roundly criticized that "legitimate" roughing the passer call with words like "terrbile", and phrases like "as a football fan, you hate to see that"? Keep in mind these are the same guys that spent 75% of the broadcast cracking 49er jokes like 16 yr old kids in a highschool cafateria.

Even those clowns knew the call was a joke so get your shyt straight: I didn't come here crying about it, nor did I blame our loss on it. In fact, I did state we'd have lost anyway and I only commented on it because someone else here brought it up.

[burrrton]

Is that why your radio guys roundly criticized that "legitimate" roughing the passer call with words like "terrbile"

No, they did that because they were wrong*. It happens, even to Seahawk fans. It was a questionable call, but not *nearly* the travesty poor, heartbroken Aikman made it out to be.

Also, not liking the call and the call being correct are not mutually exclusive- I didn't like seeing the call made, but in the NFL in 2014, if you drop your head into the QB even a little, then carry through the hit all the way to the ground, I hate to break it to you but that gets flagged. A lot.

Even those clowns knew...

Mr. EyeTest is calling someone a clown?

*I'm also noting once again how you run to logical fallacies like an 8th-grade debater.

[Hawktawk]

HawTawk;

Is that why your radio guys roundly criticized that "legitimate" roughing the passer call with words like "terrbile", and phrases like "as a football fan, you hate to see that"? Keep in mind these are the same guys that spent 75% of the broadcast cracking 49er jokes like 16 yr old kids in a highschool cafateria.

Even those clowns knew the call was a joke so get your shyt straight: I didn't come here crying about it, nor did I blame our loss on it. In fact, I did state we'd have lost anyway and I only commented on it because someone else here brought it up.

The reference to the hit on Russell was just a little electric prod to your ego buddy, way to bite. The flag was thrown and I was glad. Had it not been I would not have complained.Sorry you are in here whining and talking nonsense about so much stuff I get it mixed up sometimes. And way to ignore the basic premise of my post BTW.



The foul yesterday was obvious, the flag was correctly thrown as most officials and people not named Pete Morelli or Dean Blandino would tell you. That makes the very delayed unusual reversal including respotting a ball 25 yards up the field even less explainable. It was a hosing, someone on that field or in NYC had an agenda. Could Detroit have overcome it? probably.They could have played better. It was still one of the worst displays of agenda based officiating in a playoff game in quite a while.

[RiverDog]

No, they did that because they were wrong*. It happens, even to Seahawk fans. It was a questionable call, but not *nearly* the travesty poor, heartbroken Aikman made it out to be.

They seem to do that a lot, like they did on the roughing the passer penalty they called in our favor a couple of weeks ago. It was a bad call, but not nearly as egregious as they were trying to claim. I sometimes wonder if they intentionally try to stir up the viewing public. If it were a demonstration, they'd be arrested for inciting a riot.

[Hawktawk]

Oh and btw if that slob Chris Christie plans on winning the white house he better not plan on carrying Michigan LMAO. Thats what you call a cant quite reach around.

[Distant Relative]

Nope. Bad misplaced pass by the QB. Had he thrown it higher and more catchable it may have been a different story. That said, it is what it is!

[burrrton]

They seem to do that a lot, like they did on the roughing the passer penalty they called in our favor a couple of weeks ago. It was a bad call, but not nearly as egregious as they were trying to claim.

That's the one I believe we were talking about.

It wasn't a *bad* call, just one that could have gone either way- we've all seen much, much less draw a roughing call, after all.

[Hawktawk]

Nope. Bad misplaced pass by the QB. Had he thrown it higher and more catchable it may have been a different story. That said, it is what it is!

I think Stafford was throwing a back shoulder ball. The reciever was aware of it. The linebacker panicked and fouled the reciever. It was a clear foul, it doesn't have to be a perfect ball, just catch-able. Nothing else in the what if game matters, it was a foul on the play, period. Nobody is debating Detroit left plays on the field. But the momentum swung right there, especially the way the call was handled, and it had an impact on the outcome.