Quote Originally Posted by pbmax View Post
If Sam is seeing holding on pass plays, then he is doing his job terribly and should put his eyes back on the WR.

By contrast, a hard count or screwing with his cadence is precisely within the purview of the QB. Its his job to draw them offside.

But holding versus offside/encroachment is precisely why you fail to persuade. 99% of pre-snap penalties get called because there is nothing else happening and there are two sets of eyes on 8-10 players lined up in a row. Even if Seattle was drawn offside by a Packer flinching, there will be a penalty and the play is either free or comes back. Holding, illegal hands to face or DPI are all judgement calls and you cannot count on the flag.

Try to think of the last time one of those free shot plays bit the Packers in the ass. He's been doing it for at least five years. Name the previous times it has burned them.

The reason why it hasn't burned them is because he was certain in all those cases it was a penalty. As he should be, if he is chucking up jumpballs. To me it is just common sense. It's not a "FREE" play unless their is a penalty, so the qb should be damn sure the play is free before treating it as though it has no consequences. And I just have to doubt that it is commonplace for a qb to have the greenlight to assume defensive penalties, otherwise we would see this exact scenario happen much more often. Have you seen Aaron or any other qb throw a jumpball free play style, only to have and INT or incompletion stand? If it has it is super rare, and I would bet the qb would admit he was at fault for assuming a penalty and wasting a play or throwing a pick.
The refs have shown just about any call, no more how obvious it may seem, is a judgement call. So I will remain adamant that a qb ASSUMING a play is free, and treating it as such, is not not sound decision making.