The catch?

[hoosier]

This illustrates how people who are getting this call wrong. The rule is you have to maintain control going to the ground. Shields dislodged the ball so that Bryant didn't have control going to the ground. The turf didn't 'cause' the fumble, it just illustrated that the ball wasn't secure. And of course he was going to the ground. Interestingly (I haven't seen the game coverage yet), It sure looked like Shields never touched him, so he shouldn't have been down by contact. The Jumbotron operator didn't seem to focus on that aspect; he was zooming in on the movement of the ball in Bryant's hand.

As a side note, the Lambeau Jumbotron/operator is the best I've ever seen at replaying critical plays. They really have that to a science. They have superslow motion and instant zoom in and out. Even on the play where Peppers may have tipped the pass (which would have negated the PI) they had the ball going by his glove in super slow motion, with his glove the size of a three story building on the Jumbotron. If Peppers touched that ball, it was by a stray strand of fiber on his glove - it was that close. I assume the Jumbotron operator is playing with the feed from FOX, but the way they are able to manipulate it is interesting.

Shields got a piece of the ball just after Bryant hauled it in and while he was still up in the air. Bryant had to reposition the ball, but it did not start moving around in his hands (=loss of control) until Bryant started to hold it out toward the end zone. It was at that point that he and the ball hit the ground, and the ball started moving. Shields gets credit for making Bryant move the ball to a less secure position, but he didn't jar it loose.

[mraynrand]

Shields got a piece of the ball just after Bryant hauled it in and while he was still up in the air. Bryant had to reposition the ball, but it did not start moving around in his hands (=loss of control) until Bryant started to hold it out toward the end zone. It was at that point that he and the ball hit the ground, and the ball started moving. Shields gets credit for making Bryant move the ball to a less secure position, but he didn't jar it loose.

My view was that he never regained control after Shields got it moving. I'll look again on the broadcast, but I'm telling you I'm a little biased because that whole sequence was just huge on the Jumbotron and clear in superslow motion. But there was a lot of commotion in the stands around me, so it may have skewed my interpretation. (Buncha guys behind me were pounding on the metal below a skybox filled with cowboy fans, my daughter is yelling at the refs at a pitch I'm sure woke up dogs on the far side of Ashwaubenon)

[LEWCWA]

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!

Sneaky good post, with just the right amount of racism, lol.....

[woodbuck27]

Shields got a piece of the ball just after Bryant hauled it in and while he was still up in the air. Bryant had to reposition the ball, but it did not start moving around in his hands (=loss of control) until Bryant started to hold it out toward the end zone. It was at that point that he and the ball hit the ground, and the ball started moving. Shields gets credit for making Bryant move the ball to a less secure position, but he didn't jar it loose.

Even though Shields was beaten by the taller Dez Bryant and as I recall it.

Sam Shields did manage to get the back of his right hand to the ball and that did contribute to the incompletion.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Bryant was carrying ball like a watermelon!?

Oh no, not again.

Guys tend to "fall" off roofs after remarks like that.

[pbmax]

[LEWCWA]

Great call. Should have been called on the field. My question for you rules masters is about the PI calls. I thought balls had to be catchable for PI to be called. Both passes looked uncatchable on the PI calls, no? Both those calls contributed to Dallas points....The calls were pretty ticky tack anyway IMO, but neither pass was catchable was it?

[pbmax]

You have to love the play call. Romo's adjustments were, perhaps absent the 3rd and 1 bomb, pretty spot on. Packers ran Cover 0, had Witten double teamed and sent the house, if not House himself. But they sent outside pressure which took time and ran stunts inside that took time. Romo had precisely as much time as he needed to make a good throw.

[KYPack]

we still had a lot of good fans around and good comments. Guy behind us was doing his rendition of Troy Aikman "Well, Joe, even though I am a former Cowboy I'm perfectly objective about that correct call on the pass interference." We parked/tailgated on the rubble of the old Kmart

You bitch. KMart was my old parking spot. it was better when KMart put up the scary signs and a guard to tell you to leave. You just gave the rent a guard a fin and you were good for the game. Serious party people in that lot, now.

For the Eagle game, the family played a rib on the old guy, me. When we got close to the stadium, my brother asked me where to park. I thought they would know a spot, being local yokels. I mumbled, "I dunno, we always just park at KMart". Then they all got to laugh & inform me KMart has been torn down, etc.

My niece got one of those expensive tailgate spots about 200 ft from our entrance.

Post game, it was all nicey nice. Everybody was letting each other out, alternating and toasting with beers, the whole bit. the KMart lot was surly after the game, kinda like "car wars". That was part of the charm.

[KYPack]

You have to love the play call. Rome's adjustments were, perhaps absent the 3rd and 1 bomb, pretty spot on. Packers ran Cover 0, had Witten double teamed and sent the house, if not House himself. But they sent outside pressure which took time and ran stunts inside that took time. Romo had precisely as much time as he needed to make a good throw.

Great pass pro by the Boys.

Not to go all Wistian, but I don't know about sending Hayward on that slot corner blitz.

Storming the QB just isn't that boy's bag.

[mraynrand]

Great pass pro by the Boys.

Not to go all Wistian, but I don't know about sending Hayward on that slot corner blitz.

Storming the QB just isn't that boy's bag.

That play could have gone completely different without the Hayward pressure. Jones actually makes a great drop to cut off Witten and Romo, because of the pressure, has no choice but to go to the single coverage. Witten had to be his first read - had to be. and he could have been his second read without the pressure and without the great drop by Jones, because Ha Ha was deeper and behind Witten - and because Witten is Romo's security blanket.

[mraynrand]

Just looking at that play over and over - that's total Spy versus Spy stuff. What a great NFL play. That play had everything, much like the Rodgers to Cobb play last year in Chicago.

[3irty1]

Just looking at that play over and over - that's total Spy versus Spy stuff. What a great NFL play. That play had everything, much like the Rodgers to Cobb play last year in Chicago.

I love that description. Spot on.

[Guiness]

Just looking at that play over and over - that's total Spy versus Spy stuff. What a great NFL play. That play had everything, much like the Rodgers to Cobb play last year in Chicago.

Yup, they had Witten bracketed, and Burnett had good coverage on his man, Beasly I think (#11).

[SkinBasket]

Sneaky good post, with just the right amount of racism, lol.....

Thanks man! Although it's not racism if it's true, now is it? If anything, I suppose I'm stereotyping, but probably not.