MNF PATS-RAVENS

[Freak Out]

The zebras fuck up every game....but Baltimore had it won...all they had to do was trust in the D and NOT call that stupid TO.

[FritzDontBlitz]

The Ravens sidelines blew that game, the poorly timed timeout was just symbolic.

Even though Boller threw a pick put you can't just shut down your passing game. You have to have enough confidence in your QB to let him throw rather than keep trying to run against an 8 man front, especially when McGahee is fighting thigh cramps the entire 4th quarter.

[mmmdk]

God said to zebras: don't touch Brady, Brady!

I never said this before about the NFL but after numerous cheating scandals in soccer, in Italy, Germany & England plus the NBA ref that got caught - I no longer find it a longshot that NFL refs rig games. And this game wasn't even the worst this season.

[Partial]

The Ravens sidelines blew that game, the poorly timed timeout was just symbolic.

Even though Boller threw a pick put you can't just shut down your passing game. You have to have enough confidence in your QB to let him throw rather than keep trying to run against an 8 man front, especially when McGahee is fighting thigh cramps the entire 4th quarter.

Yeah. I cannot believe how many times they came up huge on 3rd and 4th down only to have a timeout called or some BS penalty. That was a ridiculous end to the game and now I 100% believe the NFL wants the Pats to win. That final play was an absolute mugging. Should have been Ravens ball on the 2 kicking a FG

[oregonpackfan]

One of the most frustrating things about this game is thinking about the cliche "Good teams find a way to win."

Though the Ravens played an intense, spirited game, the superior talent of the Patriots eventually prevailed. I am hardly a supporter of the Patriots though I admit they are a highly talented team.

[The Leaper]

Yeah. I cannot believe how many times they came up huge on 3rd and 4th down only to have a timeout called or some BS penalty. That was a ridiculous end to the game and now I 100% believe the NFL wants the Pats to win. That final play was an absolute mugging. Should have been Ravens ball on the 2 kicking a FG

I didn't see one thing wrong with the refs at the end of that game.

The timeout Baltimore called wasn't the fault of the zebras. The DC for the Ravens was CLEARLY calling for a timeout before Brady even got under center.

The holding call on the second 4th down was legit...there was no reason for the Ravens player to grab jersey (a HUGE no-no) when he clearly had deep help from the safeties. On 4th down, I'd rather be beat by the other team making a play than by just giving them the first down on an easy to spot holding call.

The TD catch was debateable...but after being ruled a TD on the field, I saw nothing in the replays that would convince me you could overturn it. It was a close call...and one that replay could never overturn what was called.

The final play? The Ravens got mugged? Are you kidding me? It was the Ravens receiver who didn't make the catch that was mugging the Patriot defenders...practically tackling one of them. It should've been OFFENSIVE pass interference, if anything.

The Ravens self-destructed...as usual. Horrible INT late by Boller when Baltimore could've all but ended the game with another score. Eliminating all chance of a tying FG by picking up a ref's flag and tossing it into the stands.

Sorry...you aren't going to win me over that this was the fault of the refs. The Ravens have been self-destructing all year like this. They have no one to blame but themselves.

[packers11]

Rolle said today in an interview that one of the refs was talking shit to him... callin him a "little boy and told him to shut up" multiple times...

^ I guess Bart Scott heard the ref and got extremely angry ...

Talking about double standards... Whichever ref was taunting the Ravens should be fined...

[MadtownPacker]

Rolle said today in an interview that one of the refs was talking shit to him... callin him a "little boy and told him to shut up" multiple times...

^ I guess Bart Scott heard the ref and got extremely angry ...

Talking about double standards... Whichever ref was taunting the Ravens should be fined...

I read where the ravens where telling the refs they had never played football. Turns out the one that called rolle a boy played a few years in the NFL.

Before the racism talk starts it should be noted that the ref was Black also.

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http://myespn.go.com/profile/hashmarks?tag=patriots-ravens

Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was particularly upset with the officiating tonight. He was upset with more than what he perceived to be incorrect calls. He was upset at how officials treated Ravens players in this game. He singled out head linesman Phil McKinnely for using disrespectful language.

"The refs called me a boy. No. 110 called me a boy. I will be calling my agent in the morning and sending my complaint. I have a wife and three kids. Don't call me a boy. Don't call me a boy on the field during a game because I said, 'You've never played football before.' "

Official No. 110 is Byron "Phil" McKinnely, who played for three NFL teams (Atlanta, the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago) during the 1970s and 1980s. He also apparently played in the USFL. See also: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Update from John Clayton: NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday the league is looking in to the situation.

[LL2]

One thing is for sure, the Patriots are showing they are beatable. The Steelers are a good team and will have a good chance of winning this weekend. I hope they do, because no one after the Steelers will beat the Patriots.

[mraynrand]

I've never seen such a collection of crazy circumstances all going in one teams' favor to let them win a game. When is the last game you saw where a team survived three fourth downs to win? That being said, I thought the refs making flawed calls was a relatively minor contribution to the debacle. They could have called an illegal block on Faulks' long run and could have let either the pass interference or the illegal motion calls go. The especially annoying call was the illegal motion of the Pats. That was a very ticky-tack call and absolutely saved the Patsies. The interference call was technically correct, although I'm not sure how much it really impeded the TE.

The one thing that cheers me up is that even though the Patsies won, Brian Billick lost - and that's always a nice thing to see. Hey Billick, blow us a kiss!

[mraynrand]

Hi there, you don't know me, but I'm an offensive genius!

[mraynrand]

http://ballhype.com/story/brian_billick_blows_rodney_harrison_a_kiss/

[Harlan Huckleby]

Before the racism talk starts it should be noted that the ref was Black also.

Then the ref knew perfectly well what he was doing. He was taunting the player with the old "boy" word. I think it really sucked and hope the ref is fined. Take away half his salary for working the game - $50.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Is anybody surprised that the Patriots won? I saw a team keeping its cool and making smart decisions, keeping themselves in the game.

I didn't see any call where the Ravens got screwed. Other than the bobbled touchdown catch, and that error was made on the field in a split second, not by the replay booth. There wasn't clear video evidence to overturn, even though it was probably not a catch.

[swede]

Is anybody surprised that the Patriots won? I saw a team keeping its cool and making smart decisions, keeping themselves in the game.

I didn't see any call where the Ravens got screwed. Other than the bobbled touchdown catch, and that error was made on the field in a split second, not by the replay booth. There wasn't clear video evidence to overturn, even though it was probably not a catch.

Nobody loathes the Patriots more than I do, but the Ravens were not jobbed by anyone but themselves.

The Ravens had it in the bag and by the 10 minute mark in the 4th quarter had three main ways to win; make a flipping damned first down, score one more time, or prevent the Pats from scoring for ten lousy minutes.

The Patriots could have been beaten last night. The unfortunate time-out and the pathetic offense robbed the Raven defense of a win. The Patriots are good enough to win any game if you give them four chances in the fourth quarter. The reffing was the usual lousy, but otherwise not a factor.