Call that shall live in infamy

[Harlan Huckleby]

People will be talking about this play for a few days, either justifying to themselves the pickup was correct or complaining that they was robbed, whichever suits their needs. As far as I am concerned, it is over, Cowboys are coming to Green Bay. Let's just hope we don't get a similar call against the Packers on Sunday.

You shut the fuck up. It's not over until I say it's over.

Good talk.

[Patler]

You could argue that there should have been offsetting penalties. Or if they had not throw any flag at all, well, PI often gets called wrong. But to pick up the flag after it was called, and very reasonably so, that is crooked.

Yes, you could say all that. On the other hand, Suh, Raiola and Golden Tate getting screwed over doesn't really feel wrong.

[Harlan Huckleby]

What I found funny was the quote from the Lions coach. He's not exactly in position to complain about the official getting cold feet, when he just benefited from a ridiculous reversal.

[smuggler]

But even if all 3 are called it is still offsetting, right?

Except the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Dez Bryant, which occurred after the play and would have been applied after the other penalties offset.

[Freak Out]

As per usual people focus on this kind of stuff when they should be talking about the 10 yard punt, the Loins NOT going for it on 4th and 1 in Dallas territory and the two fumbles from Stafford at the end of the game. The Lions sucked ass when they should have stepped up.

[Harlan Huckleby]

As per usual people focus on this kind of stuff when they should be talking about the 10 yard punt, the Loins NOT going for it on 4th and 1 in Dallas territory and the two fumbles from Stafford at the end of the game. The Lions sucked ass when they should have stepped up.

ya, I think this is right.

I was listening to Skip Bayless dissect this situation with his customary charm. He said the critics are 100% right on the non-calls. But then Lions proceeded to shit the bed. Cowboys deserve the win.

[Patler]

I didn't have a problem with the decision to punt. When defense is the strength of your team, and your defense is one of the best in the league, turning the game over to them is not a bad choice. Punting from there should have assured the Cowboys needing at least an 80 yard drive, and likely more. During the regular season, their punter had 29 punts inside the 20, with only 5 touchbacks. You don't expect him to boom a 10 yarder.

I didn't watch the game. What happened on the punt?

[Freak Out]

Big time shank.

[Zool]

I was listening to Skip Bayless

Why?

[mraynrand]

As per usual people focus on this kind of stuff when they should be talking about the 10 yard punt, the Loins NOT going for it on 4th and 1 in Dallas territory and the two fumbles from Stafford at the end of the game. The Lions sucked ass when they should have stepped up.

If people focus on this as the sole determining factor in the game, then I agree with you. I find the aspect of officiating to be the most important issue, specifically as to how it relates to one of the most critical calls (or sets of calls) in football - contact between a receiver and defender.

The Lions sucking is another matter, and is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Nothing novel or interesting there.

[pbmax]

As per usual people focus on this kind of stuff when they should be talking about the 10 yard punt, the Loins NOT going for it on 4th and 1 in Dallas territory and the two fumbles from Stafford at the end of the game. The Lions sucked ass when they should have stepped up.

Gassed Lions defense that refused to blitz.

Trust me, I am ready to blast the Loins on all fronts. I will enjoy it for a day. Then on to the Cowboys.

#ClicheInternetFootball

[pbmax]

I didn't have a problem with the decision to punt. When defense is the strength of your team, and your defense is one of the best in the league, turning the game over to them is not a bad choice. Punting from there should have assured the Cowboys needing at least an 80 yard drive, and likely more. During the regular season, their punter had 29 punts inside the 20, with only 5 touchbacks. You don't expect him to boom a 10 yarder.

I didn't watch the game. What happened on the punt?

That defense had allowed 2 consecutive scoring drives prior. My sense of the second half (a genuine one I can point to in the Wild Card thread) was that Dallas had adjusted well against the Lions defense after halftime.

Midfield 4th and 1 is a good time to go for it with 8 minutes left. Even if you turn it over and allow a score you will have a full complement of TOs and 3 to 4 minutes of time remaining to score. And that is the worst of the downside.

Plus side is taking more time off clock and scoring again. Much too conservative.

[pbmax]

Brandon says picked up flag infraction was a close call you could see going either way. But the refs are going to get marked down for ignoring the D holding.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/05/dean-blandino-acknowledges-cowboys-got-away-with-one/

And ...

Although some observers have suggested that Pettigrew also should have been flagged for facemasking Hitchens, Blandino says that’s not the case.

“I felt that was minimal contact,” Blandino said of Pettigrew’s contact with Hitchens’s facemask.

[smuggler]

Watching it live, it looked like a sure-fire penalty. No one could have reasonably complained about it if they'd called pass interference. Instead, they pick up the flag and they have a controversy on their hands. Why?

[mraynrand]

Watching it live, it looked like a sure-fire penalty. No one could have reasonably complained about it if they'd called pass interference. Instead, they pick up the flag and they have a controversy on their hands. Why?

Dallas at Green Bay