OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: NFL Playoff Time! How will Tomlin "Tomlin" this up?

[ColePens]

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[madinsomniac]

The sad part is this season we have seen plays like that ruled a catch because either lunging for the end zone or first down marker was ruled a football play, or because there was no difinitive viewpoint of the ball contacting the ground... just the one where it looks like it probably does...

ive hated that rule for as long as it existed... clear posession and two feet or a leg down with a lunge should always be a catch, no different than a run... the going to the ground rule should only take place when a reciever catches the ball while in the air and cannot maintain when they first come down... not for the whole way to the ground and the next 5 minutes afterwards... like if Bryant had dropped the ball he dove for when he bellyflopped, that shouldnt be a catch, but directional changes while in posession with two feet down... that clearly is

 

[FlightlessBird]

Love the Pats fans coming in here giving us their take. Sorry, but I don’t care. What’s even more hilarious is all these Pats fans (on twitter and such) saying how they’d be saying the exact same thing (that it’s not a catch) had it gone against them. Not that it ever would of course.... But give me a f***ing break.

I don’t even care about the stupid rule. I’m more pissed about them basically saying the evidence was 100% conclusive to overturn, when it wasn’t.

 

[UnrealMachine]

I'll echo what everyone else has already said:

1. I've yet to see a picture of the ball hitting the ground without James's hand/fingers under it. I don't deny that the ball moved, but why should that matter if his hands are still under the ball?
2. Independent of the point above, how does one lunge for the goal line with complete control of the ball without already catching/possessing the ball?!? Then you have his knee, hip and elbow hit the ground. ONLY after all of those things actions already take place does the ball rotate in his hands. Possession + football play should equal a catch.
3. I actually think the best comparison to this was that Polamalu interception that was ruled incomplete, heavily criticized and the NFL finally admitted they got it wrong after the fact.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Random thoughts:

-If you were watching the game with friends and they called that a TD no questions asked, and someone piped up and said it should be overturned, you would think they were a crazy person.

-Surviving the ground is in fact a rule......except when it isn't. For some reason some nitpicky rules like this are reserved for plays that are guaranteed to piss people off if overturned. Yes I realize this rule does come into play at other times, but I'm just illustrating how the rulebook has become nebulous over the last 5 or so years.

-To say James didn't "catch" the ball is lunacy. Even when you throw in nonsense like making a football move (which has no clear definition anyways), he caught the ball.

-Supposedly the difference between this play and a guy running and diving at the pylon is that the runner in that situation has already established control. See the point above. If James gets touched at the 1 yard line the play is dead, he's considered down, and only a moron would try to say he didn't....I guess hold the ball long enough??? He had the ball, made a move to break the plane, and did. It's no different than the pylon play above that happens all the time. The player scores and the play's over. If he made a diving catch at the goal line and trapped it when his hands touched the ground, no problem whatsoever with the overturn.

-I hope they understand that these calls are part of why their ratings are slipping. The game is straight up NOT FUN to watch at times. They've trimmed some commercials to cure some of what ails them. The next thing is to streamline the damn rules and bring common sense back into the equation.

-Basically they need to just allow the ball to touch the ground as long as the player is still obviously holding onto it. Anything else creates this murky area of the rules that results in situations like this.

For the record I am not that emotionally invested in the Steelers. I enjoy the games win or lose and that's pretty much it. I went to PSU and am glad James has made a career for himself, but I don't even think he's that good and have no particular loyalty to him or the team he plays for.

 

[KIRK]

Going to ask again the question @ColePens and I were discussing last night:

Why doesn't Todd Haley call two plays after the call is reversed (just in case the clock is running after 2nd down)?

Think about what Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady would've been doing while that call was being reviewed. Think they might have been talking about what next if the call were reversed? Think they might have planned out a 3rd down call in case the clock was running after 2nd down?

As I keep saying, the difference between the Patriots and Steelers isn't talent or luck or the refs or Brady. It's coaching. BB will beat Tomlin with his every day of the week and twice on Sunday. And, he'll beat his coached by Tomlin with Tomlin's players just as much.

EDIT: And LOL at Romo calling out Haley's stupid play calling, especially that 3rd down, where he figured any coach would call a bunch of fade routes to be smart and safe.

 

[Andy99]

Going to ask again the question @ColePens and I were discussing last night:

Why doesn't Todd Haley call two plays after the call is reversed (just in case the clock is running after 2nd down)?

Think about what Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady would've been doing while that call was being reviewed. Think they might have been talking about what next if the call were reversed? Think they might have planned out a 3rd down call in case the clock was running after 2nd down?

As I keep saying, the difference between the Patriots and Steelers isn't talent or luck or the refs or Brady. It's coaching. BB will beat Tomlin with his every day of the week and twice on Sunday. And, he'll beat his coached by Tomlin with Tomlin's players just as much.

EDIT: And LOL at Romo calling out Haley's stupid play calling, especially that 3rd down, where he figured any coach would call a bunch of fade routes to be smart and safe.

Yeah, this is accurate. We better hope (1) we get our heads together for the last two game instead of wallowing in this flub and losing to lesser competition, a common theme. They need to get a bye week; and (2) let's hope BALT gets into the show and takes out the Pats first, or JAX...

 

[KIRK]

Yeah, this is accurate. We better hope (1) we get our heads together for the last two game instead of wallowing in this flub and losing to lesser competition, a common theme. They need to get a bye week; and (2) let's hope BALT gets into the show and takes out the Pats first, or JAX...

I'm not sure I want any part of Jacksonville. I know the 5 INT's was an anomaly, but that team is ******* loaded and dangerous against anyone if Bortles is playing like he did in Seattle.

 

[Ms Maggie]

Love the Pats fans coming in here giving us their take. Sorry, but I don’t care. What’s even more hilarious is all these Pats fans (on twitter and such) saying how they’d be saying the exact same thing (that it’s not a catch) had it gone against them. Not that it ever would of course.... But give me a ****ing break.

I don’t even care about the stupid rule. I’m more pissed about them basically saying the evidence was 100% conclusive to overturn, when it wasn’t.

Agree. Not conclusive. Feeling better about going to Foxboro assuming AB is back. If it comes to that.

 

[KIRK]

Agree. Not conclusive. Feeling better about going to Foxboro assuming AB is back. If it comes to that.

Haden would help too.

As would elective lobotomies for Haley and Butler.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

No matter what we want to say about the call, the Steelers still had two more shots at scoring a TD and it was botched by inept coaching.

Tomlin has to prepare his team as if they aren't going to rule it a TD, which they ultimately did. There is no excuse for not having two plays called during that review.

Then you have DHB on the field... he of one catch on the season.

Why was Bryant not on the field in that situation?

 

[KIRK]

No matter what we want to say about the call, the Steelers still had two more shots at scoring a TD and it was botched by inept coaching.

Tomlin has to prepare his team as if they aren't going to rule it a TD, which they ultimately did. There is no excuse for not having two plays called during that review.

Then you have DHB on the field... he of one catch on the season.

Why was Bryant not on the field in that situation?

1. Exactly on the 2 plays.

2. Exactly on Bryant, especially when you consider (a) how he played and (b) if they'd done their jobs and had multiple fades called for 3rd down in case the clock was running after 2nd, you want your tallest receiver out there.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

1. Exactly on the 2 plays.

2. Exactly on Bryant, especially when you consider (a) how he played and (b) if they'd done their jobs and had multiple fades called for 3rd down in case the clock was running after 2nd, you want your tallest receiver out there.

Bryant played a great first half then they stopped trying to get him the ball. Dude made a sweet one handed grab and was looking like his old self... why wouldn't you try a fade to him? Let him go up and get it just like Gronk did...

I can't fathom why he wasn't on the field in that situation. You put a guy out with one catch on the season instead? That's so bizarre I don't even know how to process it...

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

No matter what we want to say about the call, the Steelers still had two more shots at scoring a TD and it was botched by inept coaching.

Tomlin has to prepare his team as if they aren't going to rule it a TD, which they ultimately did. There is no excuse for not having two plays called during that review.

Then you have DHB on the field... he of one catch on the season.

Why was Bryant not on the field in that situation?

Hmmm should we throw a fade to MB (who was balling all of the first half) or to Eli Rogers (the smallest dude on the field)?

Such difficult choices in this difficult game of football

 

[KIRK]

Bryant played a great first half then they stopped trying to get him the ball. Dude made a sweet one handed grab and was looking like his old self... why wouldn't you try a fade to him? Let him go up and get it just like Gronk did...

I can't fathom why he wasn't on the field in that situation. You put a guy out with one catch on the season instead? That's so bizarre I don't even know how to process it...

I can't fathom why Haley coached to lose in the second half period. I mean, okay, nice to get Bell running, but make them stop what was working for heaven's sake.

Strike that . . . I can fathom why Haley coached to lose. I just makes me sick to know it.

 

[KIRK]

Hmmm should we throw a fade to MB (who was balling all of the first half) or to Eli Rogers (the smallest dude on the field)?

Such difficult choices in this difficult game of football

No play call. QB knows it's too hectic to get a call done and everyone ready and calls to clock it. Idiot OC screams at him to run something. There's no time to get everyone to catch that. BUT . . . even if there is time, it's a ******* playground play. I mean, Rogers basically said he ran the slant because he figured it was the quickest route.

100% on Haley not having them prepared, and I give Ben all the props in the world for running that POS over with a bus after the game.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Hmmm should we throw a fade to MB (who was balling all of the first half) or to Eli Rogers (the smallest dude on the field)?

Such difficult choices in this difficult game of football

Well, you can't throw any route to a guy not on the field so I guess I'll have to go with Rogers....?

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

No play call. QB knows it's too hectic to get a call done and everyone ready and calls to clock it. Idiot OC screams at him to run something. There's no time to get everyone to catch that. BUT . . . even if there is time, it's a ******* playground play. I mean, Rogers basically said he ran the slant because he figured it was the quickest route.

100% on Haley not having them prepared, and I give Ben all the props in the world for running that POS over with a bus after the game.

Oh I'm by no means a Haley fan as he set them up to fail. But Ben HAS to recognize this fake spike deal has fooled exactly no one and he needs to throw it to the beer vendor in the 2nd row. That's an idiotic play by Ben

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Well, you can't throw any route to a guy not on the field so I guess I'll have to go with Rogers....?

That was my response to why DHB/Rogers were in INSTEAD of MB. I mean how can you be down and be in an obviously passing situation and have your best WR not on the freakin field? And you had a good 3 minutes to contemplate playcall/personnel during the review. It's indefensible

 

[KIRK]

Oh I'm by no means a Haley fan as he set them up to fail. But Ben HAS to recognize this fake spike deal has fooled exactly no one and he needs to throw it to the beer vendor in the 2nd row. That's an idiotic play by Ben

That was NOT a fake spike deal.

Ben screamed clock it. All his receivers got that message. Haley then screamed into his headset don't clock it. The clock is running. There's no time to call a play. There's a second to try to get receivers to see you're running a playground play. Rogers got it. JJSS and DHB on the left didn't see it.

I blame Ben for not throwing it to the beer vendor, but Haley 100% set them up to fail there and frankly it was so egregious that I'm hard pressed to slam Ben as much as I would've if Haley were anything but as incompetent an OC as there is in football.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

That was my response to why DHB/Rogers were in INSTEAD of MB. I mean how can you be down and be in an obviously passing situation and have your best WR not on the freakin field? And you had a good 3 minutes to contemplate playcall/personnel during the review. It's indefensible

No I'm just being sarcastic because it's so idiotic.

Hopefully Bryant was hurt or lost his helmet or was smoking a J in the blue tent or something, because if not that's atrocious coaching. The kind that doesn't call two plays during a long delay and just wings it during their own self-created chaos...

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

That was NOT a fake spike deal.

Ben screamed clock it. .

That right there is Ben being completely dumb (maybe he wasn't aware it was 3rd down?).
They had plenty of time to run another regular play instead of this playground stuff, which again begs the question why weren't they prepared with TWO plays as there was plenty of time. Ben has to execute even if he's not being put in the best positions

 

[KIRK]

That right there is Ben being completely dumb (maybe he wasn't aware it was 3rd down?).
They had plenty of time to run another regular play instead of this playground stuff, which again begs the question why weren't they prepared with TWO plays as there was plenty of time. Ben has to execute even if he's not being put in the best positions

With the clock running, they only have time to set up for another play IF the call is made along with the 2nd down call, so they can line right up there and run it.

That's Haley's job. He has to call a second play for that exact scenario. It's crap coaching. You said you got that. You clearly don't.

No I'm just being sarcastic because it's so idiotic.

Hopefully Bryant was hurt or lost his helmet or was smoking a J in the blue tent or something, because if not that's atrocious coaching. The kind that doesn't call two plays during a long delay and just wings it during their own self-created chaos...

Apparently, @ZeroPucksGiven thinks that was Ben's fault . . .

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Love the Pats fans coming in here giving us their take. Sorry, but I don’t care. What’s even more hilarious is all these Pats fans (on twitter and such) saying how they’d be saying the exact same thing (that it’s not a catch) had it gone against them. Not that it ever would of course.... But give me a ****ing break.

I don’t even care about the stupid rule. I’m more pissed about them basically saying the evidence was 100% conclusive to overturn, when it wasn’t.

They are Pats' fans. Enough said.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Apparently, @ZeroPucksGiven thinks that was Ben's fault . . .

They put Roth in a shitty situation there, but he has to throw it away when he sees the coverage. He made a mistake, but I'm not going to beat him up about it.

They basically took the ball out of his hands in the second half like I feared, so whatever. They scored one TD in the second half, on a short field (25 yards).

Meanwhile the Pats scored 17.

It's just the same shit with Tomlin and he just can't help himself. Roth was on pace for almost 400 yards at halftime... and then take away JUJUs long run and he had like 30 yards passing in the second half.

Even Romo was saying the obvious, but Tomlin does what he does, I dunno.