Smidgeon
12-23-2010, 02:33 PM
This is the first I heard of it: (http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/21561/dirty-laundry-a-full-plate)
A few hours later, the Green Bay Packers were hoping to take a 10-point lead over the New England Patriots at halftime when they allowed an epic 71-yard kickoff return to offensive lineman Dan Connolly. Almost immediately, you began filling the mailbag with complaints about a number of purported illegal blocks on the play.
I saw two on the TV replay. One I would consider critical and the second relatively moot.
The first came just as Connolly broke open the return at the Packers' 40-yard line. I immediately noticed Packers fullback Quinn Johnson barreling into linebacker Diyral Briggs, creating a collision that gave Connolly 30 yards of open field.
When you watch the replay a few times, you see Johnson was pushed in the back by Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. No interpretation is necessary here: It was a bad no-call for Ed Hochuli's crew.
At the end of the return, Patriots running back Sammy Morris shoved place-kicker Mason Crosby to the ground from behind. That could have been ruled a penalty as well. But assuming Hochuli ruled it a spot foul, the Patriots still would have assumed possession inside the Packers' 15-yard line.
Until reading this, I had assumed without question that the long run-back was because of the Packers' Special Teams finally breaking down completely. I was just wondering if anyone else had seen the same thing as Seifert.
A few hours later, the Green Bay Packers were hoping to take a 10-point lead over the New England Patriots at halftime when they allowed an epic 71-yard kickoff return to offensive lineman Dan Connolly. Almost immediately, you began filling the mailbag with complaints about a number of purported illegal blocks on the play.
I saw two on the TV replay. One I would consider critical and the second relatively moot.
The first came just as Connolly broke open the return at the Packers' 40-yard line. I immediately noticed Packers fullback Quinn Johnson barreling into linebacker Diyral Briggs, creating a collision that gave Connolly 30 yards of open field.
When you watch the replay a few times, you see Johnson was pushed in the back by Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. No interpretation is necessary here: It was a bad no-call for Ed Hochuli's crew.
At the end of the return, Patriots running back Sammy Morris shoved place-kicker Mason Crosby to the ground from behind. That could have been ruled a penalty as well. But assuming Hochuli ruled it a spot foul, the Patriots still would have assumed possession inside the Packers' 15-yard line.
Until reading this, I had assumed without question that the long run-back was because of the Packers' Special Teams finally breaking down completely. I was just wondering if anyone else had seen the same thing as Seifert.