2014-15 NFC North/NFL Thread

[hairy worthen]

I honestly didn't think it was. It's only because he didn't turn his head. But Detroit doing Detroit things.

That's exactly WHY it was pass interference. Total screw job and it cost Detroit the game.

[hairy worthen]

Detroit did Detroit things.   Dallas with a nice comeback.   But that picked up PI flag was a gamechanger.

Damn its frustrating pulling for the Lions. I feel for you.

[4everwarriors]

Maybe Raiola and Suh need to kick and step on a few more mofo's, hey?

[Lennys Tap]

Terrible non call.  Obvious interference.

I'm usually the one debunking conspiracy theories but this one was so egregious it begs the question "who does the NFL want to win?" Cowboys/Packers is a pretty good TV match up, aina?

[GGGG]

I'm usually the one debunking conspiracy theories but this one was so egregious it begs the question "who does the NFL want to win?" Cowboys/Packers is a pretty good TV match up, aina?

It was just a bad call.  Too obvious to be a conspiracy.

[brandx]

Win some (Suh should have been suspended and, really, he wants JJ Watt money?) -

Lose some (obvious pass interference).

[tower912]

Win some (Suh should have been suspended and, really, he wants JJ Watt money?) -

Lose some (obvious pass interference).

The suspension was lifted due to an obscure loophole.    Stunned me.   

[jsglow]

I dislike the Lions as much as the next guy but that has to be painful.  Trusting that the Packers will take care of business next weekend. We're a better team than Dallas on both sides of the ball.Haven't looked but I'll bet the line is about 7.

[hairy worthen]

I dislike the Lions as much as the next guy but that has to be painful.  Trusting that the Packers will take care of business next weekend. We're a better team than Dallas on both sides of the ball.Haven't looked but I'll bet the line is about 7.

Opening line packers favored by 6.

[tower912]

Painful?   Yes and no. There is always an expectation that the Lions will find a way to lose.   At the end of the day, they played a decent game on the road in the playoffs.   They played well enough to win, but that isn't enough on the road in the playoffs.   And when you have no serious expectations, it is difficult to be hurt.   But those were two seriously messed up calls.   It should have been first and 10 at the 15 thanks to Dez running out to protest. 

Much like the Cubs after Bartman, Detroit still had an opportunity to win and move on.   They failed.   The call was huge, but they had an opportunity to overcome and didn't. 

[JWags85]

Punting on 4th and 1 in Cowboys after that penalty was taken away was also a poor choice in my opinion.  They had been gashing that Cowboys D.

[MUSF]

The suspension was lifted due to an obscure loophole.    Stunned me.   

No obscure loophole, they just didn't consider past infractions.  They still could have upheld the suspension but decided the act didn't warrant it.

[MUSF]

Not only did they miss on the PI call, but they also failed to call a personal foul on Dez Bryant who came out to argue the call without his helmet.  No helmet is automatic personal foul which the Cowboys did twice in this game with no call.  The officials really hurt the Lions in this one.

The refs weren't responsible for the 10 yard punt, 4 yard kick return, and two fumbles on the final drive.  That is just Lions being Lions.

[classof2k]

And how Dez Bryant managed to run on the field without his helmet to scream about the call without getting a penalty is amazing.   

I had no rooting interest in this one, but swore I saw Demarco Murray take his helmet off after a score in celebration as well.  It was for all of a second as he quickly pulled it back on, but I was still surprised not to see a flag come out.

[GGGG]

I had no rooting interest in this one, but swore I saw Demarco Murray take his helmet off after a score in celebration as well.  It was for all of a second as he quickly pulled it back on, but I was still surprised not to see a flag come out.

Yeah I saw the same thing.  But it actually looked inadvertent. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I had no rooting interest in this one, but swore I saw Demarco Murray take his helmet off after a score in celebration as well.  It was for all of a second as he quickly pulled it back on, but I was still surprised not to see a flag come out.

That was an accident. He was trying to undo the straps and his whole helmet came off.

[jsglow]

Painful?   Yes and no. There is always an expectation that the Lions will find a way to lose.   At the end of the day, they played a decent game on the road in the playoffs.   They played well enough to win, but that isn't enough on the road in the playoffs.   And when you have no serious expectations, it is difficult to be hurt.   But those were two seriously messed up calls.   It should have been first and 10 at the 15 thanks to Dez running out to protest. 

Much like the Cubs after Bartman, Detroit still had an opportunity to win and move on.   They failed.   The call was huge, but they had an opportunity to overcome and didn't. 

I guess I'm speaking more for their fans over in Michigan.  No doubt they had a chance to recover and failed.  Probably should have gone for it on the 4th down.

[tower912]

No obscure loophole, they just didn't consider past infractions.  They still could have upheld the suspension but decided the act didn't warrant it.

It had also been 32 games (iirc) from his last fineable offense, so the cumulative effect was eliminated.   Since no cumulative effect, fine, not suspension.

[MUSF]

It had also been 32 games (iirc) from his last fineable offense, so the cumulative effect was eliminated.   Since no cumulative effect, fine, not suspension.

You make it sound like the fine over suspension is automatic because of the 32 games.  That would be an obscure loophole as you said, but that's not exactly how it works.  They still could have upheld the suspension if the act were egregious enough to warrant suspension.  A week earlier they could have upheld the suspension simply because he had prior infractions that indicate a pattern of misconduct.

[wadesworld]

It had also been 32 games (iirc) from his last fineable offense, so the cumulative effect was eliminated.   Since no cumulative effect, fine, not suspension.

Thank god that rule doesn't apply to community rules. "But sir, it's been 4 years since my last DUI." "Ahh, you are correct. 20 hours of community service it is. Good job."

[tower912]

I admit that I am foggy on it.   

[wadesworld]

I admit that I am foggy on it.  

I'm not saying you're defending Suh or the rule just quoted you because you explained the rule and I think the rule is ridiculous. It's how we treat 3 year olds (no wet diaper for 3 straight days? Let's go get ice cream!), not how we should treat adults (the last time you stomped on a dude with your metal cleats while he was laying on the ground helplessly was 3 years ago, you are forgiven. We will just take what essentially is the equivalence of $7.00 from you instead of suspending you. That should teach you.)

[MUSF]

I'm usually the one debunking conspiracy theories but this one was so egregious it begs the question "who does the NFL want to win?" Cowboys/Packers is a pretty good TV match up, aina?

Maybe the conspiracy was hatched on Jerry's party bus.  http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24652025/is-this-the-nfl-ref-czar-on-cowboys-party-bus-irate-nfl-execs-say-yes

[MU82]

That's exactly WHY it was pass interference. Total screw job and it cost Detroit the game.

Most of the first three quarters, I thought the Cowboys had been hurt by questionable calls. Twice, after particularly bad calls, the Cowboys responded with big plays to overcome the calls.

I absolutely thought the ref blew it by picking up that flag on what I thought was pass interference. Detroit, however, had PLENTY of chances to overcome that call --including the very next play, when Caldwell could have showed some stones and played to win and gone for it on 4th down ... and instead sent in his punter, who promptly shanked one.

Officials rarely are The Reason a team loses a game, regardless of sport. Has it happened in the history of sports? Probably. But teams get good calls in games and teams get bad calls. Over my decades as an observer, I have found that the good teams overcome the bad calls while the bad teams cry about being victims.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That's exactly WHY it was pass interference. Total screw job and it cost Detroit the game.

I have a few comments and several questions for you.

1) I understand your frustration, I would be pissed off as well if I were a Lions fan.  However, can you explain how it COST Detroit the game?

Was Detroit not winning the entire game?
Was Detroit guaranteed to score on the drive?  If they only got a FG they are still only up 6?  Why would they be guaranteed to score a TD on that drive, if that is your argument, since they hadn't scored one since the first quarter?  Are they guaranteed to even get a FG with their kicking game?
Did the refs make Detroit punt on 4th and 1?
Did the refs make Detroit punt it 9 yards on a shank?
Did the refs make Detroit not stop Dallas after leading the whole game?
Did the refs make Detroit fumble it twice in the last 1:30 of the game?

Again, I understand your frustration, I'm just curious how it COST Detroit the game when they led the entire game and didn't put things away AND you have no idea what would happen next.  NONE.

2)  You do realize face guarding is not a foul in the NFL, correct?  Only college

3)  In my view, should have been offsetting penalties.  Clearly the receiver is facemasking the defensive player every bit as much as he was holding him.  Can't turn your head around if the receiver has your facemask held.



4)  Who do you think got the better of the calls in the first half?  I'm just curious.  Personally, I hate blaming things on the refs.  But nothing I hate even more than someone saying because of a call, it means 10 other things would have happened.  No one knows if Detroit scores or what happens next.


At any rate, Dallas played horrible.  Absolutely horrible in the first half.  Can't believe they won. If they play like that against Green Bay it will be a blowout.