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Fisher frustrated by calls in Dallas game
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_9c082186-e9e8-50d6-b35f-159517a2b2f9.html
The 448 yards produced by the Rams against the Dallas Cowboys was the highest offensive output for the team in a regulation contest in 30 games.
That was Game 6 of the 2012 season, coach Jeff Fisher’s first with the Rams. They had 458 yards three games later, but had an extra quarter to get there in a 24-24 overtime tie with San Francisco.
So Sunday was a rare day offensively for Fisher’s Rams. They outgained the Cowboys by 108 yards. Trouble was, they gave all but four of those yards back via penalty, because the Rams had 119 yards in penalties assessed against them to Dallas’ 15. That’s a 104-yard differential.
Rarely is there such a wide disparity in penalty yards between two teams in one game. In fact, there’s never been as big a disparity in either direction since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995.
The next-biggest differential came under Steve Spagnuolo in 2011, when the Rams were assessed 117 yards in penalties compared to 32 for Baltimore — an 85-yard disparity.
On the other sideline, the biggest differential favoring the Rams came in a 27-24 overtime victory over San Francisco in Game 2 of the 2003 season. The 49ers were assessed 121 yards in penalties, while 43 yards were measured off against the Rams — a disparity of 78 yards.
At his Monday media session, Fisher didn’t realize the historical significance of what happened against Dallas in terms of penalty yards. But he wasn’t happy about the 104-yard differential, and he made that clear.
“Believe me, I looked at them,” Fisher said. “We had several of them that are not fouls, probably four in particular.”
The four Fisher was referring to, in chronological order:
• Penalty No. 1: A roughing the passer call against Eugene Sims late in the second quarter, a play in which referee Clete Blakeman explained Sims delivered a blow to the head.
Replays showed that Sims’ left hand hit Tony Romo’s shoulder, and then, as he was falling over a Dallas blocker, it barely grazed the Dallas quarterback’s helmet.
The NFL rule book states that there has to be forcible contact to the head for there to be a penalty. Former NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira, now a Fox television analyst, was brought into the telecast to assess the call. He said there was not enough contact, and it should not have been a penalty.
The result of the drive was a Dan Bailey field goal to cut the Rams lead to 21-10 at the half. Without the penalty, the Cowboys are left facing a third-and-7 from the St. Louis 37, and maybe they don’t kick a field goal.
• Penalty No. 2: An offensive holding call against wide receiver Kenny Britt late in the third quarter on a running play by Trey Watts.
“I didn’t think that was a foul. The (defender) fell down,” Fisher said.
Instead of having a second-and-3 situation from the Dallas 10, the Rams were pushed back to their 17 (on a spot foul), and settled for a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
• Penalty No. 3: Late in the fourth quarter, Sims was called for holding on a play in which he sacked Romo for an 11-yard loss to the Dallas 9. Blakeman’s crew ruled that Sims had impeded Dallas wide receiver Terrance Williams, who was in motion and hadn’t reached the line of scrimmage, from running a pass route.
Both Fox analysts working the game —Daryl Johnston (a former Cowboy) and Tony Siragusa — strongly stated that it shouldn’t have been a penalty, and that it was simply a great play by Sims. Johnston even said he would coach a defensive end to handle the play exactly the same way because you wouldn’t be sure if Williams was blocking or going out on a pattern.
“The Eugene Sims (holding) play is not a foul,” Fisher said. “It was a huge play. We have a sack and we have a third-and-21. If we create an incomplete pass (on the next play), they’re punting out of the end zone. At that time in the game, it’s a huge field-position swing. That’s an incorrect call.”
At the time, the Rams trailed 34-31 with 2 minutes 24 seconds left to play. They lost a potential 40 yards in field position as a result of the call, and also had to burn their final two timeouts.
• Penalty No. 4: The Rams got the ball back four plays later at their 24 on a Chris Jones punt. But Janoris Jenkins was called for holding on the play, and the Rams took over at their 14 yard after the penalty yardage was stepped off.
“And there’s no foul there in my opinion,” Fisher said. “That’s a huge field position swing considering we started that drive on the 14-yard line. So I’m disappointed in that.”
In summary, Fisher added: “But to answer you question — the disparity? I don’t know. In my opinion, there were a dozen or so, maybe more, offensive holds that weren’t called (against) the Cowboys.”
He said defensive tackle Kendall Langford was pulled down by a Dallas blocker on the 68-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Dez Bryant early in the third quarter. But there was no call. In fact, Fisher said there were touchdowns against Tampa Bay and Minnesota that should’ve been called back because of penalties that weren’t called — a false start that wasn’t called against the Buccaneers and a holding call that wasn’t made against Minnesota.
“So technically, we’ve had three touchdowns scored against us that were improperly officiated,” Fisher said.
Even so, Fisher said the Rams have to play beyond the calls by minimizing mistakes of their own doing.
“The penalties didn’t create our turnovers,” Fisher said. “The penalties didn’t cause the interception return for a touchdown. We weren’t penalized when we fumbled the snap at midfield. So we can control the things that we can control, and we didn’t do it well enough to win this game.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_9c082186-e9e8-50d6-b35f-159517a2b2f9.html
The 448 yards produced by the Rams against the Dallas Cowboys was the highest offensive output for the team in a regulation contest in 30 games.
That was Game 6 of the 2012 season, coach Jeff Fisher’s first with the Rams. They had 458 yards three games later, but had an extra quarter to get there in a 24-24 overtime tie with San Francisco.
So Sunday was a rare day offensively for Fisher’s Rams. They outgained the Cowboys by 108 yards. Trouble was, they gave all but four of those yards back via penalty, because the Rams had 119 yards in penalties assessed against them to Dallas’ 15. That’s a 104-yard differential.
Rarely is there such a wide disparity in penalty yards between two teams in one game. In fact, there’s never been as big a disparity in either direction since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995.
The next-biggest differential came under Steve Spagnuolo in 2011, when the Rams were assessed 117 yards in penalties compared to 32 for Baltimore — an 85-yard disparity.
On the other sideline, the biggest differential favoring the Rams came in a 27-24 overtime victory over San Francisco in Game 2 of the 2003 season. The 49ers were assessed 121 yards in penalties, while 43 yards were measured off against the Rams — a disparity of 78 yards.
At his Monday media session, Fisher didn’t realize the historical significance of what happened against Dallas in terms of penalty yards. But he wasn’t happy about the 104-yard differential, and he made that clear.
“Believe me, I looked at them,” Fisher said. “We had several of them that are not fouls, probably four in particular.”
The four Fisher was referring to, in chronological order:
• Penalty No. 1: A roughing the passer call against Eugene Sims late in the second quarter, a play in which referee Clete Blakeman explained Sims delivered a blow to the head.
Replays showed that Sims’ left hand hit Tony Romo’s shoulder, and then, as he was falling over a Dallas blocker, it barely grazed the Dallas quarterback’s helmet.
The NFL rule book states that there has to be forcible contact to the head for there to be a penalty. Former NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira, now a Fox television analyst, was brought into the telecast to assess the call. He said there was not enough contact, and it should not have been a penalty.
The result of the drive was a Dan Bailey field goal to cut the Rams lead to 21-10 at the half. Without the penalty, the Cowboys are left facing a third-and-7 from the St. Louis 37, and maybe they don’t kick a field goal.
• Penalty No. 2: An offensive holding call against wide receiver Kenny Britt late in the third quarter on a running play by Trey Watts.
“I didn’t think that was a foul. The (defender) fell down,” Fisher said.
Instead of having a second-and-3 situation from the Dallas 10, the Rams were pushed back to their 17 (on a spot foul), and settled for a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
• Penalty No. 3: Late in the fourth quarter, Sims was called for holding on a play in which he sacked Romo for an 11-yard loss to the Dallas 9. Blakeman’s crew ruled that Sims had impeded Dallas wide receiver Terrance Williams, who was in motion and hadn’t reached the line of scrimmage, from running a pass route.
Both Fox analysts working the game —Daryl Johnston (a former Cowboy) and Tony Siragusa — strongly stated that it shouldn’t have been a penalty, and that it was simply a great play by Sims. Johnston even said he would coach a defensive end to handle the play exactly the same way because you wouldn’t be sure if Williams was blocking or going out on a pattern.
“The Eugene Sims (holding) play is not a foul,” Fisher said. “It was a huge play. We have a sack and we have a third-and-21. If we create an incomplete pass (on the next play), they’re punting out of the end zone. At that time in the game, it’s a huge field-position swing. That’s an incorrect call.”
At the time, the Rams trailed 34-31 with 2 minutes 24 seconds left to play. They lost a potential 40 yards in field position as a result of the call, and also had to burn their final two timeouts.
• Penalty No. 4: The Rams got the ball back four plays later at their 24 on a Chris Jones punt. But Janoris Jenkins was called for holding on the play, and the Rams took over at their 14 yard after the penalty yardage was stepped off.
“And there’s no foul there in my opinion,” Fisher said. “That’s a huge field position swing considering we started that drive on the 14-yard line. So I’m disappointed in that.”
In summary, Fisher added: “But to answer you question — the disparity? I don’t know. In my opinion, there were a dozen or so, maybe more, offensive holds that weren’t called (against) the Cowboys.”
He said defensive tackle Kendall Langford was pulled down by a Dallas blocker on the 68-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Dez Bryant early in the third quarter. But there was no call. In fact, Fisher said there were touchdowns against Tampa Bay and Minnesota that should’ve been called back because of penalties that weren’t called — a false start that wasn’t called against the Buccaneers and a holding call that wasn’t made against Minnesota.
“So technically, we’ve had three touchdowns scored against us that were improperly officiated,” Fisher said.
Even so, Fisher said the Rams have to play beyond the calls by minimizing mistakes of their own doing.
“The penalties didn’t create our turnovers,” Fisher said. “The penalties didn’t cause the interception return for a touchdown. We weren’t penalized when we fumbled the snap at midfield. So we can control the things that we can control, and we didn’t do it well enough to win this game.”
