Game One Snap Thoughts
September 12th, 2010 | by detfan1979 |{breathes deeply}
{repeats}
{repeats}
{5 hours pass}
Okay, now I’m ready. First of all, RIP I hope you don’t follow through and bug out on us – I love your comments and we’d miss you. Hard as this is for me to type, the Refs didn’t lose that game — The Detroit Lions did. Don’t get me wrong, I totally disagree with the call and wanted to roundhouse kick the officials in the head. Period.
However, CJ pulled a Desean Jackson. Remember how a season or so back he was sprinting to the endzone and tossed the ball in celebration — just before he crossed the plane. It didn’t end up costing Philadelphia the game, but the premise is the same. Don’t celebrate ’til it’s over.
Now, by definition, he let go of the ball when it hit the ground and he rolled over all in one motion without stopping. Had he just pulled the ball in and cradled it — pulled the ball in. Even laid there with it held in the air for a moment dramatically the pass would have been a touchdown. But it was not to be. The WR has to maintain control until he is all well and down and done moving. Period.
Have I seen more questionable catches ruled TD’s? You bet. Should this have been a TD? I think so — but the letter of the rule overruled the spirit of football. Apparently you need a law degree to determine what constitutes a catch in the end zone. Anywhere else on the field, and that is a completion. A RB dives over the line and the ball goes flying it is a TD — why they don’t need to maintain possession I’ve never understood. I think down is down and should be down anywhere on the field — endzone or not. Hopefully this rule gets overturned or changed finally because I’ve seen it have an impact on several games over the past few years and quite frankly hate it almost as much as my next officiating talking point.
Hands to the helmet. Hands brushing the helmet. A pinkie making contact with a QB helmet as he completes a pass. Seriously, what the hell? This is the second year for this rule and all it really does is… well, create penalties for penalties sake. A Dlineman is going to put up his hands to block a pass, and sometimes they will bump a head when tackling a QB. It doesn’t seem to hurt the other 21 guys on the field. Both teams benefited equally from this dumb rule, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
As for the Lions… They had no business even being in that game — period. That they were at the very end doesn’t change the fact that this game was the exact opposite of what we expected. The defense showed it was ready to play in the big leagues, creating pressure despite all the measures the Bears took to counteract it, and by creating such pressure got the expected results. They made a 4 down goal-line stand at the half-yard line. The half yard line for cripes sake! Usually a first down inside the ten is considered a gimme TD the last 6-8 years! 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles… numerous hits and hurries — Turk McBride looked great in place of an injured Avril. Sammie Hill showed up on the stat sheet even in rotation.
A few key plays decided this game — including the two miscues that led to the Bears TD run and the FG before the half.
That still doesn’t matter to me. The offense, in the immortal words of Dr. Suess in regards to the Grinch “Stink, Stank, Stunk.” The playcalling even with Stafford in the game was so conservative as to make you wonder it they had discovered the forward pass was common now. Best’s second TD was a gift — and as the Lions showed, punching it in is never a given, even from a half a yard out. Still, it took a turnover a short field and a defensive penalty to get the Lions in t scoring position. There were more 3 and outs than me at bat in a major league game — and any 10 year old could strike me out at the plate.
I’m not sure what happened, but the Lions need to pull themselves together. The injury to Stafford sucks big time, but I hope whatever is wrong with the offense they get it figured out while he heals. Because right now, the Detroit Lions offense as a whole lost that game wasting a huge effort by the defense. It was supposed to be the other way around — and if the team can pull the offense together and keep the defense rolling they have a shot to make things happen this season. If they don’t, then it’ll be a really long year.
By the way, what is the over/under right now on middle linebackers Detroit will lose to injury? Right now it’s at 3 — DeAndre Levy, Jordan Dizon and Landon Johnson. While the announcers marveled at how well the Lions were doing with their backup-backup-MLB in there I couldn’t help but thinking it was the backup-backup-backup-MLB out there. Does anyone else wonder how far Forte would have gotten with Levy in the middle? If Forte could have outrun Dizon?
The team still has little depth, and injuries are a part of the game.
But guess what? After all of the above, I’m pretty pleased with the team right now. All things considered, if they play every game that close they are going to win a few. Sure, they will lose more than they win but if they can get that close on the road in Chicago then I think they have a good clean shot at 6 wins this season. IF they get the offense moving like it did at the end of game…
By KCLionFan on Sep 12, 2010
As far as the Prognosis of the Lions, I like what I see. Long term, the offense will snap back, and Defensively, the secondary did better than expected, and the front four was as advertised.
Taking the long term view, I like what I see.
Short term view…..not so much. I hope Stafford’s injury is not serious, but I smell a 4-5 week recovery.
IMHO, the game was lost when the Lions could not get 1st downs in their possession just prior to the Bears TD. I think the clock was around 4-6 minutes. That’s where good NFL teams seal the deal, and the Lions aren’t there yet.
Still a hopeful fan!!
By Andrew on Sep 13, 2010
The thing that makes me angriest about reactions to this call is people blaming Calvin for “celebrating” or “not holding onto the ball.”
The deck is stacked against the receiver in this situation. You’re on your back in the endzone, you just hauled in an amazing catch. You never faltered with the ball at all and, most crucially of all, the official who is standing right in front of you has thrown his arms in the air and signaled TOUCHDOWN. What are you supposed to do? Hug the ball for dear life and slowly walk away? You just made the biggest play of the young season and, for all you know, it’s a touchdown. Then some official from the other side of the field runs in after you put the ball down and says the guy who’s right there got it wrong? It’s not fair.
By CHIEFGER139 on Sep 13, 2010
MAKES me sick, don’t think we can win any games without stafford, thought they could win 6 also, but now that hes gone could be another 2 win season, hill doesnt show me anything.
By detfan1979 on Sep 13, 2010
I totally agree with you Andrew. As I said, I hate this rule — and have hated it since it started a couple years back. It is absurd. The various “rules” around the endzone lead to hugely contrasting definitions of a touchdown. I think a catch needs to be a catch – period. No matter where it is on the field. If he caught that ball on the one yard line, then fell into the endzone in the same way it would have been a TD as soon as it crossed the plane — same catch, fall — everything.
I am not angry at CJ, nor at the officials but at the rule itself. It’s a crock and it needs to be changed.
On a positive note, still can’t say enough about the defense. That long term prognosis for the team is looking really good and I’m starting to buy in to playoffs push in 2011 instead of 2012 like I originally thought. Looking forward to how they hold up next week against the eagles.
By jreffy on Sep 13, 2010
Come on guys, it’s a clear interpretation of the rules. I don’t get what is so controversial, I mean, heck, this same situation happened in the Super Bowl and it was applied in the same way!… (/sarcasm)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J0_WL06AAc
By detfan1979 on Sep 13, 2010
LOL yeah — that rule is crap. Guess I can’t say it enough. Haven’t liked it since they started it. Ending the force-out rule only increased how stupid it is. And anywhere but the endzone that was a catch. It was a catch by anyone’s defenition — except the NFL’s, of course.
By Mark on Sep 13, 2010
jreffy,
Good clip. If that play counts, I can’t understand for a second how Calvin’s doesn’t count.
Detfan,
I totally agree with you about the hands to the face rule being painful to watch. It basically makes it impossible for a defensive rusher to put his hands up and try to block a pass. I guess the rushers are going to have to just forget trying to block the pass and just lower a shoulder into the qb’s ribs everytime. Then we’ll have too many qb’s out with rib injuries and you wont be able to hit them high, low, or in the middle.
Lopper
By Rip on Sep 14, 2010
The proffessional game has lowered its standard to less than the college games. There is no if or butts about in with the rules in place from the last few years. Tell your kids to not break your back or create an injury to make a Td reception. Are you going to do it. Calvin protected himself from possible injury by doing what he did for a forsure touchdown.
As far as an end zone replay of the TD for Chicago, I am thinking of the “Black Socks” era for football now. Who control these things and why is it allowed to happen? Is the over/under for the people in charge not to have Chicago lose? Where are these people roots from and live?
Who employs them? Can’t they work a game from out of thier conference? Fox Sports Chicago has some serious questions that need to be answered.
Come on guys, even the college games has end zone replays.
Let me ask you which is worst for the game? Billicheck cheating, the players cheating, or the game being cheated? What do you like about the game? It cant be about the people who work the game from the network to the replay official. There is something that smells bad about this game (besides the Lions offense) that the NFL needs to look into.
By jreffy on Sep 14, 2010
I think one of the reasons this ruling is hard to stomach is because of the bogus “breaking the plane” rule in the NFL. As other people have said, if Johnson was at the 1 yard line when he makes the catch, and the ball breaks the plane when he rolls over, that’s a TD.
“Breaking the plane” has become some kind of sacred cow in the NFL.
I play Rugby. In Rugby, in order to score a try (our version of a TD), you have to physically touch the ball to the ground in the try-zone. If you try and touch the ball to the ground and there’s a body underneath the ball, or the defender keeps you from rolling over to place it on the ground…no try.
Granted, this wouldn’t really work for the NFL (sideline catches and fade passes), but they need a clearer way to rule TD or no TD.
Here’s a crrrraaazy idea, how about judging a TD based on where the ball is when the player is ruled down. You know, that same rule they apply EVERYWHERE ELSE ON THE FIELD, but for some reason doesn’t apply to the endzone.
By Clusterfox on Sep 14, 2010
I can’t say I’m anti instant replay, But time and time again, I see instances were they forget the basics and start dissecting the complex portion of rules when they look at a replay. Case in point- Last night when Zibikowski(sorry on spelling)made that horrible punt return from the 5. He was hit at the 1-2 and driven into the endzone. The commentators and crew were running slow motion to analyze where the ball was when his knee actually touched the ground. They completely forgot about forward motion. We all know that he could of been driven back to the back of the endzone, but once his forward motion was stopped, that is where he is down his knee had nothing to do with it. My take is that as long as there are rules, their will be someone there to mis-interpret them. here is hoping CJ takes this personally and plays like a man on a mission.
BTW- The play after “the Catch” was one of the worst non-call pass interferences i’v seen. The refs couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Kudos to Schwartz, never expect to win when you leave it in the hands of the officials.
Clusterfox
By Lionfan73 on Sep 14, 2010
The NFL has become overly officiated. Officials now decide the games. Too many penalties when a QBs head is barely touched. Takes away agressive play. I don’t want to see QBs getting hurt…but some of these calls are ridiculous. Also in last nights game, there was a five yard penalty because the player attempting to block a punt landed to close to the punter, and the poor boy couldn’t put his foot down. Way to many rules.Let’s play football!!!
By nubsnobber on Sep 16, 2010
Conspiracy theorists chat here_________!
Here is another one for you. “They (referees) mis-interpretted the mis-interpretation.”
The rule as it was applied was for receivers who were in the air and land on their chest, etc. planing out for the ball and then need to show possession of the ball by bringing the catch up with them.
CJ caught the ball (first act) and continued to get two feet down and spin away from the defender while maintaining possession of the catch which is “the second act”. Just because he goes to the ground AFTER the catch, doesn’t mean his spinning away from the defender isn’t the “second act”. Remember…he had already demonstrated possession prior to falling, and was spinning away from the defender.
It’s not like he made a Superman catch and landed on his chest falling on top of the ball with his hands underneath it. That’s when the rule states you must demonstrate possession after the catch as well.
So….as far as I’m concerned the Lions are 1-0. F*** the NFL, *u** the referees, **c* the Bears, and ***k the media pundits who are trying to defend this. It isn’t the correct interpretation according to me.
In the words of the late Sam Kinneson, “OH, Oh, OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
By nubsnobber on Sep 16, 2010
I couldn’t imagine that Killer is quoting me, but it is funny that his letterwriter shares a similar opinion as me.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2010/09/why_detroit_lions_fans_should.html