Why can't Cam Newton get a call?

[tower912]

I don't like conspiracy theories, but holy crap.   How can HE be penalized after that hit?    And then Cousins gets the call for getting pushed out of bounds, when he was clearly in bounds when touched?    Never has a double standard been more evident.     The only way Cam could get less respect is if he played for Detroit.  Does there need to be full time officials?    Is it the old Shaq double standard?  (bigger and stronger than everybody, so it doesn't count as a foul)   Do penalties or lack thereof need to be reviewable?  (yes, I realize what a Pandora's box that would open)

If you are Carolina, what can you do?    Should they sit Cam the last two weeks to send a message to the league that if the officials won't protect him, they will?    I am not a fan of Cam, but this is embarrassing.   

[GGGG]

I still think the full-time official issue is not a real problem.  What exactly are they going to do full-time to get that call right?

I think the problem is the NFL rulebook is too complex and nuanced.  College football by and large is an easier game to officiate IMO because the rules are more straight-forward.  (For instance, how they view a catch v. the NFL)  And no one is clamoring for full time referees in college.

An example of an NFL rule that has gotten too difficult is the offsides.  It used to be simple.  If the defense jumped offsides, they could get back prior to the snap.  If the offense moved, it was a false start.

Now here is the rule...check out point (b).  It is a mess.

ARTICLE 4. NEUTRAL ZONE INFRACTION. It is a Neutral Zone Infraction when:
(a) a defender moves beyond the neutral zone prior to the snap and is parallel to or beyond an offensive lineman, with an unimpeded path to the quarterback or kicker, even though no contact is made by a blocker; officials are to blow their whistles immediately

(b) a defender enters the neutral zone prior to the snap, causing the offensive player(s) in close proximity (including a quarterback who is under center) to react (move) immediately to protect himself (themselves) against impending contact; officials are to blow their whistles immediately. If there is no immediate reaction by the offensive player(s) in close proximity, and the defensive player returns to a legal position prior to the snap without contacting an opponent, there is no foul. A flexed or split receiver is considered to be in close proximity if he is lined up on the side of the ball on which the violation occurs; other offensive players are considered to be in close proximity if they are within two-and-one-half positions of the defender who enters the neutral zone. If the defender is directly over the center, a quarterback under center, the center, and the guards and tackles on both sides of the center are considered to be within close proximity; if the defender is in a gap, the two offensive players on either side of the gap are considered to be within close proximity (including a quarterback under center, if applicable)

(c) a player, after he has received a warning, enters into the neutral zone. It is a foul, even if he returns to a legal position
prior to the s

[JWags85]

Honestly, as terrible as it is, I think Cam and the Panthers complaining about it (completely justified, mind you) has only hurt as refs feel resentful as a result.  Nobody likes to be shown up less than officials.  I don't think there is a grand conspiracy, I think its poor refs with a double standard for a BIG mobile QB, coupled with what I just mentioned.  Its made even more ridiculous by it being the reigning MVP.  Its not like its RG3 or Tyrod Taylor complaining.

[MerrittsMustache]

Rushing QB rules are tough to interpret as well. The QB is viewed as a runner once he starts to scramble...unless he slides, in which case he's a QB again as soon as he starts his slide. Once the QB crosses the LOS, he should be viewed as a runner. If you hit him when he slides, it should be no different than a RB or WR who slides (not that a they would slide, but you get what I mean).

The rule regarding roughing the passer, illegal contact and pass interference need major overhauls as well. The simpler, the better.

[GGGG]

Rushing QB rules are tough to interpret as well. The QB is viewed as a runner once he starts to scramble...unless he slides, in which case he's a QB again as soon as he starts his slide. Once the QB crosses the LOS, he should be viewed as a runner. If you hit him when he slides, it should be no different than a RB or WR who slides (not that a they would slide, but you get what I mean).

Exactly.  The issue here is, did the defender leave his feet to tackle him before he started his slide?  This is where more nuance comes in. 

[MU82]

I am a Cam fan, and I believe there are a few things involved here.

++ The Shaq Faqtor ... He is the biggest, strongest QB in the league, so he simply isn't looked at the same way as others. He's viewed as "big enough to take it." If Brees gets breathed on, it's a personal foul.

++ The Running QB Factor ... Cam is a runner much of the time (though hardly at all last night), and runners are -- and should be -- treated somewhat differently. Runners still shouldn't be victims of headhunting, however.

++ The Whiner Factor ... I do agree that because the Panthers have complained, that might be working against them.

As an optimist and a non-conspiracy theorist, I like to think that there is no anti-Cam conspiracy.

As for specifically what happened last night: Cam gave himself up on that play, went into full slide mode. The defender went directly at his head. It was an obvious penalty, and everybody thought so, including ESPN's officiating guy. Everyone except the clueless zebras on the field, that is.

And yet, Cam has to maintain his cool and can't toss that football at the guy who hunted his head.

Although it seems ridiculous that the ref called the penalty for something completely harmless but ignored the penalty for something obviously malicious, it should have been offsetting fouls and repeat of down.

BTW, the refs also blew a call when they picked up the flag after Olsen was interfered with, ruling the ball was uncatchable. The ball was about 5 feet away from Olsen, who is an outstanding receiver, and he couldn't go after it because he was held. Twice.

Nevertheless, the Panthers played quite well and overcame those calls, which is what winning teams often have to do. Officials rarely decide games.

If the Panthers had played all season like they played last night, they'd be playoff-bound. If Tampa is still in the race in the final week and this Carolina team shows up, I feel bad for the Bucs.

[MUBurrow]

On this particular play, I agree that the sliding rules play a part. But there have also been a pretty dramatic number of occasions Cam has been destroyed in the pocket and not gotten a roughing call where it almost certainly would have been called for a more - ahem - traditional-looking QB.  It would behoove the NFL for that not to continue to be a story, and given the league's other negative press, its kind of shocking to me that they continue to allow themselves to be put in the position where this is an issue. Then again, their tone-deafness and archaic hierarchy is legendary, so maybe its not that much of a surprise.   

Aside from the penalty issue aside, it'd be interesting if there were stats on the number of injuries to QBs outside the pocket on plays they slide vs plays they are tackled. I'm not convinced sliding significantly cuts down on injury risk. Its such an unnatural movement, and more often than not, the QB is exposing his upper body/head to the knees (and if already going in for a low tackle, shoulders and head) of a 265 lb linebacker running at him with 4.5 speed. 

[MU82]

On this particular play, I agree that the sliding rules play a part. But there have also been a pretty dramatic number of occasions Cam has been destroyed in the pocket and not gotten a roughing call where it almost certainly would have been called for a more - ahem - traditional-looking QB.  It would behoove the NFL for that not to continue to be a story, and given the league's other negative press, its kind of shocking to me that they continue to allow themselves to be put in the position where this is an issue. Then again, their tone-deafness and archaic hierarchy is legendary, so maybe its not that much of a surprise.   

Aside from the penalty issue aside, it'd be interesting if there were stats on the number of injuries to QBs outside the pocket on plays they slide vs plays they are tackled. I'm not convinced sliding significantly cuts down on injury risk. Its such an unnatural movement, and more often than not, the QB is exposing his upper body/head to the knees (and if already going in for a low tackle, shoulders and head) of a 265 lb linebacker running at him with 4.5 speed.

I like to think the bias against Cam is that he is big, and not that he is black. For the latter, it would mean that Wilson, Winston and other black QBs also were getting treated differently. I haven't seen evidence to suggest that.

I just think that given the fake concern about concussions, it's outrageous that they let this continue to go on.

And that's an interesting question about sliding. I wonder the same myself.

[MUBurrow]

I like to think the bias against Cam is that he is big, and not that he is black. For the latter, it would mean that Wilson, Winston and other black QBs also were getting treated differently. I haven't seen evidence to suggest that.

I don't think the racial element of it is intentional or conspiratorial, but I think it unfortunately is a part of what is going on.  The average ref not giving Cam that call has been seeing guys that look like Cam get hit like that as RBs or TEs, and it not being a penalty, for their entire refereeing careers.  In the split second it takes to decide if a hit is roughing, the fact that it just doesn't look like the roughing the passer refs are used to seeing leads to an extra pause in throwing the flag, and in turn a greater proportion of those hits not being called.

Edited to acknowledge that I agree size has as much, if not more, to do with that calculus than race. But by not fixing what is a pretty fixable problem, the league is opening itself up to criticism on that front.

[tower912]

I guess the best way to see if it is size related would be to compare what hits are/aren't called on Big Ben compared to what is/isn't called on Cam.