The catch?

[Striker]

Another thing lost in this whole fiasco is that this wasn't a play in the end zone with no time left. If the ruling stood who's to say the Packers don't somehow come up with a stop or Romo doesn't throw a pick somehow?

Or if the Cowboys do score a TD, Rodgers and the offense still have plenty of time on the clock.

Or if the Cowboys stop the Packers on the two 3rd down situations where the Packers threw the football at the end of the game, they still have another shot.

They said Detroit still had 8 minutes. Well, Dallas had almost two minutes to work twice.

[HarveyWallbangers]

We've all seen this called incomplete for awhile now. I remember Greg Jennings losing a td because after the catch - then two steps in the endzone a bear defender tackled him and the ball came loose, ruled incomplete because he was "going to the ground" and didn't maintain control of the ball. Calvin Johnson call was the more famous one but the rule is there and it should be known by everyone by now. Correct call on the reversal.

BINGO!

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm saying it was a catch from logic standpoint, not from the NFL fucked up over-regulated rule standpoint. No reason to pretend he didn't actually catch the ball. Either way we go to NFC Championship game so relax.

He should have maintained control. There's nothing new about this rule. The only people bitching about this call are Cowboy fans, and most of them realize it's not a catch.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't see how this is being compared to the megatron catch. If I recall the ball wasn't moving. Johnson just put it down on the ground after catching it. The cries of 3 steps are garbage because dez cryant had not secured it until he rolled in the endzone and by then it had touched the ground. The call and the rule are legit IMO.

Agreed, hombre.

[mraynrand]

It was not a catch, according to NFL rules. And shame on all you bastards for not giving credit to Sam Shields (at least in this thread; it's the first one I'm reading after getting back from the game). Shields moved the damn ball from Bryant's grasp, otherwise it would have been a catch. Great play by Shields to disrupt what would have been an amazing throw to and catch by Bryant.

Other points that I don't know the rules to that also have been raised: It seems to me that you can't make a 'football move' going to the ground and you can't make a 'football move' if the ball isn't secured. And no matter what that crybaby says, he was going to the ground with an unsecured football. Tough shit: you lose.

FWIW, I sat under a box filled with cowboy fans. It's pretty easy to tell people are saying "bullshit" even if you can't read lips all that well. ESPN wasn't able to digitize that out. Hope they got billed for throwing their drinks at the plexiglass. Cowgirl fans sitting by me were well behaved, but there were way too many - maybe 5% Cowgirl fans at the game (about 79,500 total in attendance).

[KYPack]

It was not a catch, according to NFL rules. And shame on all you bastards for not giving credit to Sam Shields (at least in this thread; it's the first one I'm reading after getting back from the game). Shields moved the damn ball from Bryant's grasp, otherwise it would have been a catch. Great play by Shields to disrupt what would have been an amazing throw to and catch by Bryant.

Other points that I don't know the rules to that also have been raised: It seems to me that you can't make a 'football move' going to the ground and you can't make a 'football move' if the ball isn't secured. And no matter what that crybaby says, he was going to the ground with an unsecured football. Tough shit: you lose.

FWIW, I sat under a box filled with cowboy fans. It's pretty easy to tell people are saying "bullshit" even if you can't read lips all that well. ESPN wasn't able to digitize that out. Hope they got billed for throwing their drinks at the plexiglass. Cowgirl fans sitting by me were well behaved, but there were way too many - maybe 5% Cowgirl fans at the game (about 79,500 total in attendance).

Yup. Sam's accomplishment is noted, but kind of like a fireworks display next to an atomic explosion.

Well, you saw a classic, I'll say that much.

Cowboys fans are usually pretty well house broken.

Did you see any total assholes at the game?

I loved a FOX shot about a half hour after the game. Fans were hanging out in the stands, drinking their last beers and just glowing in the victory.

[SkinBasket]

If Dez pulls that ball in and tucks it away instead of trying to be the TD hero, the ball doesn't hit the ground. The problem is black people have been sociologically trained to deflect all blame and reject all accountability for their own actions. Much easier to blame the NFL and the refs than one's self. Hands up don't shoot!

[Guiness]

It was not a catch, according to NFL rules. And shame on all you bastards for not giving credit to Sam Shields (at least in this thread; it's the first one I'm reading after getting back from the game). Shields moved the damn ball from Bryant's grasp, otherwise it would have been a catch. Great play by Shields to disrupt what would have been an amazing throw to and catch by Bryant.

Other points that I don't know the rules to that also have been raised: It seems to me that you can't make a 'football move' going to the ground and you can't make a 'football move' if the ball isn't secured. And no matter what that crybaby says, he was going to the ground with an unsecured football. Tough shit: you lose.

FWIW, I sat under a box filled with cowboy fans. It's pretty easy to tell people are saying "bullshit" even if you can't read lips all that well. ESPN wasn't able to digitize that out. Hope they got billed for throwing their drinks at the plexiglass. Cowgirl fans sitting by me were well behaved, but there were way too many - maybe 5% Cowgirl fans at the game (about 79,500 total in attendance).

Something I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned was the single coverage on the outside on that play. Romo was in the shotgun with an empty backfield, was shocked he didn't have help over the top with Dez!

[hoosier]

Did you see any total assholes at the game?

Dallas Morning News is a pleasure to behold this morning.

[KYPack]

Well Kid, first they cuff ya, then they stuff ya in the back seat.

[pbmax]

Something I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned was the single coverage on the outside on that play. Romo was in the shotgun with an empty backfield, was shocked he didn't have help over the top with Dez!

It was a Cover 0 (no safety) blitz. Dom has gone rogue the second half of this season.

It got mentioned in the Game Day thread that had Bryant just rolled to the ground, he might have been able to prevent the ball from hitting the ground. Until he twisted at the end, the ball was in his left arm and his left arm was off the ground.

Shields had such good coverage he was wearing Bryant like a hat. Bryant is so good he got disrupted twice and still nearly got it. It was an amazing sequence.

[pbmax]

The single biggest PR problem the NFL Refs have is disagreement over what is or is not a good call. Each network has their own ex official commenting, they never agree with the broadcast crew or the game officials. You then get corrections from the League in the middle of the week.

No one would be squawking if the on-field side judge made the correct call and replay backed him up and Perreria agreed with the call. At least you wouldn't have the suspicion that the rules are fluid.

[3irty1]

The refereeing is taking away from the fact that the Cowboys bet their season on a well defended 30 yard pass on 4th and 2 with 4 minutes left. There is no pretending they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory here.

[Pugger]

So what. Packers would have had plenty of time to score even if Dallas scored there.

THIS!!

This is what the crying Cowboys keep forgetting. It wasn't like this was the at the very end of the game and they would have won the game for sure had they scored there.

[Pugger]

He bobbled the ball more times than Harlan in the back of an adult backstore.