Yes, the Lions got hosed. Really freaking awful, that’s why I posted this thread.
However....
In defense of the NFL...
And in defense of the refs...
(pauses for a moment to duck behind the couch while tomatoes are thrown)....
SOME of these calls are based on BAD RULES which were CHANGED AND CORRECTED the following year.
That first AWFUL one? They fixed that BS rule the following year. But don’t blame the refs. They accurately called the rule the way it was written at the time.
The Calvin Johnson TD catch? Again, the refs made the proper call according to the (awful!!) rule that was in place at the time. But thankfully that “control through the ground” rule has been successfully changed to allow for common sense.
The OBJ drop? Not sure what year that happened, but I doubt that drop would go by unnoticed by today’s standards.
The late hit on Stafford? Yeah, that’s bullshit will never change... some QB’s get the benefit of the doubt more than others.
The “bat” by Seahawks in EZ? Ref did indeed screw up that one. Sounds like “intent” is not reviewable though.
Lastly... a good case can be made for the call in that last play (DET-ATL) to remain on the books. Det WR was indeed down by contact short of the EZ., and there were only 8 or 9 seconds left when he was down... Det had no timeouts... could they have gotten everyone lined up and spiked the ball within 8 or 9 seconds, or would the game clock have expired? (Edit: there was some discussion of lowering the mandatory run-off time to seven seconds, but I think they kept it at 10.)
Attached, links to two articles which discuss the above plays. Interesting stuff.
Texans running back Justin Forsett scored a touchdown, despite being tackled by the Lions.
www.google.com
The correct call would have resulted in the end of the game.
www.google.com
