Against The Grain -- Sunday's Week 15 games

2008-12-18T22:14:48-05:00

2008-12-14T22:28:24-05:00

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2008-12-14T22:28:24-05:00

2008-12-18T22:14:48-05:00

IBleedPurple

Andover 637589

134 Did anyone realize that the play was on third down? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have punched it in - probably would've kicked a FG and played for OT. 3707830

2008-12-14T23:11:43-05:00

Philippe Bourdon

southington 496946

3 Steelers fan here and I agree that the call should not have been overturned because there is no way there is indisputable visual evidence. However, I do believe the Steelers would have punched it in on the next play. I also think that "the call" evened things out in the end. James Harrison was held all day and even driven into the ground when Flacco made a long completion resulting in a field goal. There was also a non call on a flagrant pass interference that ended a Steelers drive at mid-field. 3654533

2008-12-18T22:12:37-05:00

IBleedPurple

Andover 637589

Steelers fan here and I agree that the call should not have been overturned because there is no way there is indisputable visual evidence. However, I do believe the Steelers would have punched it in on the next play. I also think that "the call" evened things out in the end. James Harrison was held all day and even driven into the ground when Flacco made a long completion resulting in a field goal. There was also a non call on a flagrant pass interference that ended a Steelers drive at mid-field.

133 Did you know that play was on 3rd down? I don't think they would have punched it in - pretty sure they would've played for overtime. 3707804

2008-12-17T23:29:32-05:00

Mark Melillo

Hillsborough 636818

132 I have a question about the rule that was quoted in the Steelers game. Suppose a receiver is standing in the end zone near the pylon and the ball is thrown outside the pylon but the receiver reaches out of bounds and catches the ball while tapping two feet in the end zone? Is it a TD? I'm sure it would be. However, technically the ball never made it into the end zone although I guess it did cross the extended boundary of the goal line. To me it was the same logic whether the ball crossed the goal line or not. The receiver caught it while tapping both feet in the end zone. Touchdown! 3694862

2008-12-17T22:45:20-05:00

gocort24

PASADENA 127802

131 The replay officials in the Steelers-Ravens game were either high on crack or they were paid off or maybe they were just Steelers fans. Not only did they blow the "touchdown" replay , which was really close either way , but they messed up a much more obvious replay in the first half. The Steelers had a 3rd down and the Ravens stopped the runner 1 and a half yards short of a first down , for some strange reason the replay official called for a review (last 2 minutes). Even though the runner was stopped 1 1/2 yards short , the replay official not only said it was a first down , he didn't even ask for a respot and measurment. Something was really about fishy it , and it almost makes me not trust the NFL. If it is not on the up and up , then it is not worth watching. 3694363

2008-12-17T14:56:42-05:00

SteelCurtain1

Lewisberry 636538

130 The entire point of an officials review is to get the call right. They did that. Case closed. And Brian36, you certainly are one class act. I can see why you're a Ravens fan. You want to discuss something? Discuss how the Steelers marched 92 yards on ReyRey and company with the division crown on the line. 3689158

2008-12-17T14:31:25-05:00

thedingo8

toronto 636682

129 Indisputable evidence is the criteria, plain and simple it was not there. The challenge earlier of a terrible placement on third down. which led to a field goal was a far worse judgement. The perception of honesty is being brought into question by far too many critical and obviously mistaken calls this year. Mike Perriera the head of excuses for the NFL splain that.. 3688707

2008-12-16T18:37:44-05:00

dodgerboy

No City 202975

128 REFS MADE THE RIGHT CALL ORIGANALLY, BUT CHANGED THEIR MIND? COULD NOT BELEIVE THEY CHANGED THE CALL. I'M GLAD THEY DID CAUSE I'M A STEELER FAN!!!!!!!! MAYBE ' JUST MAYBE THE REF HAD MONEY ON THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME! WAS IT THE SAME GUY WHO TOOK TROYS TOUCHDOWN AWAY AGAINST THE CHARGERS!!!!!!!!!!LOVE THE CALL THOUGH' GO STEELERS 3678770

2008-12-16T17:58:05-05:00

The optimist

Dallastown 17906

127 What a joke article. You must have agreed with all the calls in the Steelers - Seahawks Super Bowl too. You are a writer and can say you understand the rule of the review? This was blatant abuse again. point in case, is the non overturn of an obvious bad spot earlier in the game that led to 3 crucial Steelers points. What say you? That was obvious to everybody except Steeler cheaters/fans all over the networks. You must be from Pittsburgh or work for Paul - give Baltimore a museum - Tagliajerk. You got it wrong my friend. 3678341

2008-12-16T15:13:14-05:00

rancid_69

Hialeah 635769

126 "Expect the same thing in Miami next year"? How could someone with such thick glasses say something so stupid? You'll see when the Dolphins win the division again next year how crappy your insight into the future really was, Ms. Cleo... 3675811

2008-12-16T15:03:48-05:00

washingtonsportsfreak

Mc Lean 413826

125 why isn't the ruling for the play like an out of bounds catch? ....... if you have possession of the ball and two feet dow its a catch, and in this case because those 2 feet were in the end zone it would be a touchdown 3675672

133

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/bucky_brooks/12/09/awards/T1_1214_holmesperloff.jpg" alt="Double Click to select a Photo" width="298" height="457" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">The refs nailed Santonio Holmes' controversial TD-catch call. AP</div> </div> A weekly NFL breakdown that heads in the opposite direction of your average pro football analysis. 1. Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes' game-winning catch against the Ravens was a touchdown. The most forward progress of the ball was in the Baltimore end zone. If that happened in the second quarter, no one would have questioned officials for overturning the call. People are just up in arms because it came so late in the game. The officials should be lauded for not being too scared to make a decisive ruling just because the clock was winding down. 2. The Ravens need to do a better job of getting their defense on the field. Stop wasting time with those three-yard Le'Ron McLain runs so Ed Reed can get on the field and put some points on the board. 3. Relax, Cowboys and Giants fans. New York wasn't playing for anything on Sunday night. The real Giants will return next Sunday when they beat up the Panthers in the Meadowlands. Dallas deserves credit for doing its job, but this win doesn't mean all its problems have gone away. 4. I will guarantee the Lions beat either New Orleans or Green Bay. Call me the Joe Namath of bloggers. 5. Think defensive coordinators have had time to adjust to the Titans' Kerry Collins? Collins does not look like a quarterback that can lead a team to the Super Bowl. Tennessee's Super Bowl chances could become remote if it loses to Pittsburgh next Sunday and gives up homefield advantage in the AFC playoffs. 6. After the Arizona Cardinals get spanked by the Patriots next week, they'll fall to 8-7 and need a win over Seattle in Week 17 to finish over .500. Even if they do finish at 9-7, that record is inflated because of the non-competitiveness of the NFC West. Same story for the Broncos in the AFC West. It will never happen, but the NFL should institute a rule that requires a division winner to be over .500 to reach the playoffs. The Cardinals and Broncos had enough of an advantage by playing such a lame schedule and still will barely avoid losing seasons. 7. Six of the Packers' nine losses have come by four points or less. How many of those games would Brett Favre had won? Regardless of how you feel about Favre, he was definitely smarter than GM Ted Thompson when it came to the Packers' surprise pick of defensive tackle Justin Harrell in the first round of the 2007 draft. Is that guy still in the NFL? 8. In years past, the Bengals' 20-13 win over the Redskins might have been bad news as Cincy falls from No. 2 to No. 4 in draft position for 2009. But next year, the top few picks are going to be hot potatoes for franchises that don't want to hand rookies huge contracts before the NFL has a chance to institute a rookie cap, likely in 2010. Expect "trade down" to be the No. 1 option on several draft boards around the league. 9. The 2008 Miami Dolphins remind me of the '06 Jets, who surprised everyone in Eric Mangini's first season by going 10-6 and reaching the playoffs. Both teams featured an uncharacteristically healthy Chad Pennington, feasted on easy schedules and caught opponents off-guard with gimmick plays. But their overall talent probably wasn't at playoff level. The Jets lost in the wild-card round and fell to 4-12 the next season. Expect the same thing in Miami. 10. Dallas' DeMarcus Ware has an outside shot to break Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5 and pretty much every good pass-rusher in the league is on pace for at least 15 sacks this year. But don't mistake these sack specialists with the all-time greats. Sack numbers have to be rising since rules now favor passing over rushing more than ever and more QBs are dropping back. Not one pass-rusher in today's NFL could hold Lawrence Taylor or Reggie White's jock.     32401 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/397/2/thumb/Perloff.jpg 545 NY

Andrew Perloff

New York 3992