Bengals/Colts, Dallas/Lions

Refs give Cowboys a gift with pass interference no-call

We’ll have to wait until after the game to find out what on earth Morelli was thinking when he called off the penalty. But he gave the Cowboys a huge gift in the fourth quarter of a close playoff game.

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Referee Pete Morelli explains controversial non-call in Lions-Cowboys

Mike Florio

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/04/referee-pete-morelli-explains-controversial-non-call-in-lions-cowboys/

With three wild-card games that lacked controversy, the last game of the weekend had enough for all four, and then some. After the Cowboys-Lions game, referee Pete Morelli explained the decision to pick up the flag in what appeared to be an obvious case of pass interference in a key moment as Detroit was driving in Dallas territory with a 20-17 lead.

On third and one, Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens appeared to interfere with Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew. The flag was thrown, the foul was called, and then it all just went away.

“The back judge threw his flag for defensive pass interference,” Morelli told pool reporter Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “We got information from another official from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference. He thought it was face guarding.”

Who thought it was face guarding?

“The head lineman,” Morelli said.

Asked what Morelli saw, he said, “It’s not my responsibility. I’m a hundred miles away.”

Morelli pointed out that face guarding, which happens when a defender uses his arms to deliberately obstruct the receiver’s ability to see the ball, isn’t a foul in the NFL.

“It is a penalty in college but not professional football,” Morelli said.

Asked whether he should have waited to announce the call until the head linesman had a chance to chime in, Morelli said, “Probably, yes. . . . The information came and then the officials got together a little bit later, after it was given to me, the first information. It would have probably been smoother if we got together.”

Morelli said the head linesman had the better view of the play. Regardless, replays showed that Hitchens did more than face guard Pettigrew. Some have suggested that Pettigrew committed interference of his own. Either way, a mistake was made — and the mistake made by Morelli in announcing the call before wiping it out compounded the first one.

Coincidentally, NFL V.P. of officiating Dean Blandino will be a guest on the first PFT Live radio show on Monday. The play probably will be discussed. A little.

from off the net

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RamUK

The NFL is not rigged! This argument makes zero sense on any level.

Something called the availability heuristic means we recall events that stand out and are meaningful to us more easily, hence we forget things that do not.

This is worsened by confirmation bias in which we look for things that affirm what we already believe, hence people forgetting the call that went against Dallas previously that was equally bad. And the overturning of the 1st down was dubious in my opinion. Did he make it? Probably, but it was far from conclusive.

As another poster pointed out where was this favoritism for the last 20+ years when Dallas were sucking?

For it to be true the owners would have to approve it and there is zero likelihood of other teams doing that.

It also suggests not only is every single official corrupt, but that they can all keep a secret that would crush the NFL.

That story would make anybody who broke it an instant celebrity and probably very wealthy.

The PI call was just a blown call, not a conspiracy that would make Watergate look like child’s play.

Saying Dallas doing well in the play offs is no more evidence of a fraud of biblical proportions being perpetrated than me saying I’d like more money means I’m planning a raid on Fort Knox.

I feel gutted for Detroit and the poor officiating needs rectifying, but come on people, let’s drop the schoolboy notions because we’re pizzed.

wv wrote:

Pats vs Ravens — dont like either team
Broncos vs Colts — dont like either
Seahawks vs Panthers — dont like either
GB vs Cowboys — dont like the Cowboys.

Guess that just leaves the Packers.
I’m kinda “enh” on the Packers.

Ah well.

w
v

I like the Baltimore Browns. And, the Baltimore Colts. I think GB and Dallas will be a good game and don’t have nothin against either team. Though I agree with conventional wisdom and think that if either GB or Dallas beat Seattle, it would be a big upset.

I am kind of hoping for an all Baltimore AFC final game. Ravens and Colts.