Gift wrapped in Black & White Paper with a Yellow Bow

[MichiganPackerFan]

My thoughts on the game:
Another Bears trademark cheap shot on the quarterback on the ground in the first quarter (no call)

Turning point in the game: Julius Peppers commits obvious neutral zone infraction. Penalty called on Clifton

Devin Hester's punt return direct result of a hold on Derek Martin (no call)

Masthay had two great punts of 50+ yards (one was good but covered poorly) and one terrible line drive

For every hold called against the GB OL, there was one not called against the CHI OL.

A lack of discipline made this game close, insanely lopsided home field calls lost it.

Bears have been handed two gift wrapped games from the officials at home. It took one call to give them the Lions game and 17 to give them this one by three points.

Green Bay was the preseason media darlings. Chicago is the regular season officiating darlings.

Fourteen weeks is too long to wait for a rematch.

I can handle taking a beating, but it is FRUSTRATING when the officals are this involved.

What is it about Green Bay facing so many homefield calls in Chicago? It was similar last season too.

As Woodson said, the defenders have a right to go for the ball too and Burnett had better position.

There needs to be more accountability for the team's discipline.

There needs to be more accountability for officiating: there is NONE in this league.

There was a Bears fumble in the first quarter that the officials blew dead before anyone had a chance to recover it. One a questionable play, let the play go to see the result so it can be officially challenged.

I have no "Chicken Little" thoughts after this game: we have a solid team and it's unlikely the calls will be this lopsided again.

Since when can a defender not try to strip the ball until the whistle?

I lost a night's sleep over this and am still pissed.

Bears fans who contacted me to talk shit after this game can rot in hell. They're a 1-2 team without all the calls.

DAMMIT!!!

[MichiganPackerFan]

Forgot about this one: Chicago faking an injury to get a free timeout to decide whether or not to challenge a call

[Smidgeon]

Forgot about this one: Chicago faking an injury to get a free timeout to decide whether or not to challenge a call

The announcers even called that one as it was happening.

[packerbacker1234]

This just sounds like a bitter fan.

For starters, they weren't "gift wrapped" either win, especially the Lion win. According to the rulebook, that was not a catch by Calvin Johnson. That isn't a gift wrap - it's IN THE RULEBOOK. Even the previous head of officiating was at the game, in the booth, and he said their is no possible way, when it was under review, to call it a catch, according to the present rulset about catches in the endzone.

That was the CORRECT call.

Against us - I don't really see how the officials handed them the game. We scored 17 points, our OL (all of them but wells) made bad mistakes (even with a neutral zone infraction, you're taught NOT to move, so it's still a piss poor excuse).

We had the ball at the end of the game to win it, we were driving, and the packers, yes the packers, fumbled it away. Woodson couldn't hold on to what has to be considered the most gift wrapped interception throw in recent memory on a play where *cough* - the bears got called for HOLDING - People need to get off the "the bears didn't get penalties" crap. They got 5 penalties, including a crucial hold on their game winning drive. How did our defense respond after dropping a crucial int and backing them up 10 yards? By letting Olson get a catch on the VERY NEXT PLAY right down the middle for a 20 yard first down.

The other int that was held onto but burnett got called for pass interference is merely one of those rules that a lot of people don't like, but it has to be called on someone. On one hand, due to the underthrow, Burnett arrived a tad early and got his head turned a second late before the intial contact. On the other hand, the WR's right arm was wrapped around burnett as he was trying to nudge him out of the way. Of course, neither knew collins was flying in for the pick.

Bottom line is the flag had to be thrown for that contact, and since this is how the rulebook works, 90% of the time it's going to go against the defender instead of being and offsetting penalty as it should be.

I don't agree with the rulebook on that one, but it's been that way for years now, and those sort of calls are made all the time. I agree with Woodson's statement that the league needs to start allowing the CB's EQUAL rights to the ball, because presently even with the "claim" they have equal rights, everyone knows that simply isn't true.

I don't look at officiating as to why we lose a game most the time. Even with 18 penalties, almost every single one of them were legit. I look at the blocked FG (again, our own fault). I look at the other FG and how we couldn't get that drive int he endzone. I look at conservative clock management gameplan when you have a high octane big play offense - we played for this game to be low scoring, instead of trying to drop 30 and get a few picks of cutler as we did last year. Poor gameplan.

Then, to cap it off, James Jone fumbled it away on the final drive. Forget the refs - we should of won this game adn we didn't come through when we needed too.

[mraynrand]

This just sounds like a bitter fan.

For starters, they weren't "gift wrapped" either win, especially the Lion win. According to the rulebook, that was not a catch by Calvin Johnson. That isn't a gift wrap - it's IN THE RULEBOOK. Even the previous head of officiating was at the game, in the booth, and he said their is no possible way, when it was under review, to call it a catch, according to the present rulset about catches in the endzone.

That was the CORRECT call.

.

People disagree with you. He had gone to the ground and was getting up when he let the ball go. That was the CORRECT call. So there. It was a judgement call. The Bears lost the Lions game pretty much the same way the Packers lost to the bears - too many mistakes.

[MichiganPackerFan]

This just sounds like a bitter fan.

Ok. I'm bitter and I'm pissed.

For starters, they weren't "gift wrapped" either win, especially the Lion win. According to the rulebook, that was not a catch by Calvin Johnson. That isn't a gift wrap - it's IN THE RULEBOOK. Even the previous head of officiating was at the game, in the booth, and he said their is no possible way, when it was under review, to call it a catch, according to the present rulset about catches in the endzone.

That was the CORRECT call.

There's been a lot of excuses made and a lot of framing and restating the issue to fit the rule book. It was a catch, he brought it down under control and under control set the ball down. A catch is a catch.

Against us - I don't really see how the officials handed them the game. We scored 17 points, our OL (all of them but wells) made bad mistakes (even with a neutral zone infraction, you're taught NOT to move, so it's still a piss poor excuse).

We had the ball at the end of the game to win it, we were driving, and the packers, yes the packers, fumbled it away. Woodson couldn't hold on to what has to be considered the most gift wrapped interception throw in recent memory on a play where *cough* - the bears got called for HOLDING - People need to get off the "the bears didn't get penalties" crap. They got 5 penalties, including a crucial hold on their game winning drive. How did our defense respond after dropping a crucial int and backing them up 10 yards? By letting Olson get a catch on the VERY NEXT PLAY right down the middle for a 20 yard first down.

The other int that was held onto but burnett got called for pass interference is merely one of those rules that a lot of people don't like, but it has to be called on someone. On one hand, due to the underthrow, Burnett arrived a tad early and got his head turned a second late before the intial contact. On the other hand, the WR's right arm was wrapped around burnett as he was trying to nudge him out of the way. Of course, neither knew collins was flying in for the pick.

Bottom line is the flag had to be thrown for that contact, and since this is how the rulebook works, 90% of the time it's going to go against the defender instead of being and offsetting penalty as it should be.

I don't agree with the rulebook on that one, but it's been that way for years now, and those sort of calls are made all the time. I agree with Woodson's statement that the league needs to start allowing the CB's EQUAL rights to the ball, because presently even with the "claim" they have equal rights, everyone knows that simply isn't true.

I don't look at officiating as to why we lose a game most the time. Even with 18 penalties, almost every single one of them were legit. I look at the blocked FG (again, our own fault). I look at the other FG and how we couldn't get that drive int he endzone. I look at conservative clock management gameplan when you have a high octane big play offense - we played for this game to be low scoring, instead of trying to drop 30 and get a few picks of cutler as we did last year. Poor gameplan.

Then, to cap it off, James Jone fumbled it away on the final drive. Forget the refs - we should of won this game adn we didn't come through when we needed too.

Uncalled shot on Rodgers 1st quarter - 15 yard penalty uncalled
Clear fumble in first quarter - whistled dead so GB can't recover - supposed to let that play go
Multiple uncalled holds on Chicago's OL that they were calling the other way
5 -17 in flags??? and a THREE point loss? Yes, we should have played a lot more disciplined, but yes, the officials are also responsible for not calling a balanced game. They called almost NOTHING the other way and you don't need to be an apologist for the officiating. BALANCED officiating would have made up for at least three points. DISCIPLINED offense and defense would probably added 14-21 points. EITHER wins the game.

[Pugger]

This just sounds like a bitter fan.

For starters, they weren't "gift wrapped" either win, especially the Lion win. According to the rulebook, that was not a catch by Calvin Johnson. That isn't a gift wrap - it's IN THE RULEBOOK. Even the previous head of officiating was at the game, in the booth, and he said their is no possible way, when it was under review, to call it a catch, according to the present rulset about catches in the endzone.

That was the CORRECT call.

.

People disagree with you. He had gone to the ground and was getting up when he let the ball go. That was the CORRECT call. So there. It was a judgement call. The Bears lost the Lions game pretty much the same way the Packers lost to the bears - too many mistakes.

It was the correct call, just a lousy rule in that first game of the bares against the loins. I don't blame the officials in the game last night one iota. The blame belongs with the fellas in green and gold. We are the better team - on paper - but squandered a great opportunity last night. Even as horrid as we played we still had a chance to pull it out until Jones coughed it up yet again. If I were the bares I'd cherish this win but I wouldn't be all that comfortable. They played about as good as they can but couldn't stop our passing game unless we screwed up. In the pressers after the game last night neither Lovie nor Cutlet acted very smug. Thankfully it is still early in the season so we can still make up ground before we play them again.

[channtheman]

On the play that Lovie challenged that was close to a TD a very similar thing happened to the Bears receiver. He fell back into the endzone and the ball moved as it hit the ground. Was the receiver not going to the ground? Why was this ruled a catch, even after it was challenged and reviewed? If Calvin Johnson didn't catch the ball, then that play down at the goal line sure as hell was not a catch either.

[mraynrand]

This just sounds like a bitter fan.

For starters, they weren't "gift wrapped" either win, especially the Lion win. According to the rulebook, that was not a catch by Calvin Johnson. That isn't a gift wrap - it's IN THE RULEBOOK. Even the previous head of officiating was at the game, in the booth, and he said their is no possible way, when it was under review, to call it a catch, according to the present rulset about catches in the endzone.

That was the CORRECT call.

.

People disagree with you. He had gone to the ground and was getting up when he let the ball go. That was the CORRECT call. So there. It was a judgement call. The Bears lost the Lions game pretty much the same way the Packers lost to the bears - too many mistakes.

It was the correct call, just a lousy rule in that first game of the bares against the loins. I don't blame the officials in the game last night one iota. The blame belongs with the fellas in green and gold. We are the better team - on paper - but squandered a great opportunity last night. Even as horrid as we played we still had a chance to pull it out until Jones coughed it up yet again. If I were the bares I'd cherish this win but I wouldn't be all that comfortable. They played about as good as they can but couldn't stop our passing game unless we screwed up. In the pressers after the game last night neither Lovie nor Cutlet acted very smug. Thankfully it is still early in the season so we can still make up ground before we play them again.

I disagree with you. I think the rule is fine - hold onto the ball going to the ground. That makes sense to me. You have to have a standard (rule) for a catch. I disagree with the judgment on the call. I don't think he was still going to the ground when he let go of the ball. That's my judgment, and was the judgment of the official on the field calling it live. So it wasn't an easy, perfectly clear judgment call, because they had to go to review to overturn it. I'm OK with you and anyone else having the opposite judgment on that particular call. But please let's be clear about what the rule is and what judgement is.

[ThunderDan]

On the play that Lovie challenged that was close to a TD a very similar thing happened to the Bears receiver. He fell back into the endzone and the ball moved as it hit the ground. Was the receiver not going to the ground? Why was this ruled a catch, even after it was challenged and reviewed? If Calvin Johnson didn't catch the ball, then that play down at the goal line sure as hell was not a catch either.

I don't notice that. Now I have homework when I get home tonight.

[Iron Mike]

Re: Gift wrapped in Black & White Paper with a Yellow Bo

Devin Hester's punt return direct result of a hold on Derek Martin (no call)

There was also a block in the back on that punt return that was not called against the Bears.

I get the feeling we'll hear pretty soon about the letter the Packers received about the mistakes the officials made in this game.

[mraynrand]

Re: Gift wrapped in Black & White Paper with a Yellow Bo

Devin Hester's punt return direct result of a hold on Derek Martin (no call)

There was also a block in the back on that punt return that was not called against the Bears.

I get the feeling we'll hear pretty soon about the letter the Packers received about the mistakes the officials made in this game.

The reason the block in the back on Chillar didn't get called was that he overran the play and made virtually no effort to move back toward the play. Those blocks in the back have to look pretty obvious. It would have been a weak call. Not sure about Martin. Someone had a handful of his jersey, but was he stopped or turned?

[ThunderDan]

Re: Gift wrapped in Black & White Paper with a Yellow Bo

Devin Hester's punt return direct result of a hold on Derek Martin (no call)

There was also a block in the back on that punt return that was not called against the Bears.

I get the feeling we'll hear pretty soon about the letter the Packers received about the mistakes the officials made in this game.

The reason the block in the back on Chillar didn't get called was that he overran the play and made virtually no effort to move back toward the play. Those blocks in the back have to look pretty obvious. It would have been a weak call. Not sure about Martin. Someone had a handful of his jersey, but was he stopped or turned?

Yes he missed the tackle on Hester by only 4 feet as he stumbled by. Grunden did the slow-mo replay to show Hester blowing thru the hole and in the righthand side of the screen is Martin getting held.