Penalties

[RiverDog]

One of the things that we haven't talked about a lot that has had a direct effect on our performance has been penalties. We've been collecting a ton of them, and we are tied with our friends from Denver with 44 accepted penalties and we lead the league in penalty yardage.

Breaking them down by penalty, the problem seems to be confined to three categories. We've had 14 have been presnap, or a little over 1/4 of our total and tied for 3rd worst, 9 offensive holding flags, most in the league, and 5 DPI, tied for 2nd most. Personal fouls haven't been an issue as we've collected just one of those.

Looking at individual offenders, Tariq Woolen leads the way with 6 flags (all pass related), Abe Lucas with 4 (2 holding, 1 false start, and one illegal downfield), Mike Jackson with 4 (all pass related), Charles Cross with 3 (2 holding, 1 false start) and Uchenna Nwosu with 3 (2 offside, 1 PF).

https://www.nflpenalties.com/

Nearly all of our penalties have come from rookies (Woolen, Lucas, and Cross) or inexperienced veterans (Jackson), so one could expect them to improve as they gain more experience.

Interestingly, the Broncos have had a horrendous time with presnap penalties, collecting 20 of them, 5 more than any other team and obviously a product of a new QB, a new HC, and a QB that didn't play in the preseason.

Anyhow, I wasn't trying to make any kind of argument. I just thought it interesting to take a little deeper look at them.

[NorthHawk]

It might get worse for the rookies as fatigue sets in during a long season, but otherwise penalties from younger players is to be expected.

[Hawktawk]

I was gonna start a thread called tired of watching the WWF. Yeah we’re committing lots of fouls and lots are legit . You can trace almost every one to a big play lost on one side of the ball or another . But watch the film of that NO game where they were holding and grabbing all day and when you’re running it takes less of a hold to break one . I was listening to the ocean but my kid had the sound up and told me the broadcast team was talking about how the saints we’re getting away with holds. There were similar comments vs Denver and Atl too . Then Cross did as good a job disengaging as any veteran when Geno goes left , linemen throws up his hands and we lost a gorgeous across the body throw to a great catch and 7 points to back up 10 yards when I’ve been watching them do worse all day . But they preferred a high school offense to a high flying fun to watch NFL offense . Woolen was called for holding when he just legally jammed the guy so hard he about knocked him on his ass. I see the sack on Brady called roughing that helped then . Carr I understand the ref doesn’t know the guy had the ball when he landed on Carr .

But overall I’ve about had it . What is frustrating is some crews are excellent . Then there’s games like ours that make you wonder who is in the take . I’ve never liked that prick from last game and there’s a reason why . A few more Sunday’s like last I’m gonna start working on my old chrysler on Sunday’s . There’s a reason I don’t want to watch Wwf.

[NorthHawk]

There's an adjustment phase for players from what they can get away with in College and what they can get away with in the NFL.
It's especially noticeable for DBs where there is a lot more contact and holding in College but it's true along the LoS as well.

[RiverDog]

I was gonna start a thread called tired of watching the WWF. Yeah we’re committing lots of fouls and lots are legit . You can trace almost every one to a big play lost on one side of the ball or another . But watch the film of that NO game where they were holding and grabbing all day and when you’re running it takes less of a hold to break one . I was listening to the ocean but my kid had the sound up and told me the broadcast team was talking about how the saints we’re getting away with holds. There were similar comments vs Denver and Atl too . Then Cross did as good a job disengaging as any veteran when Geno goes left , linemen throws up his hands and we lost a gorgeous across the body throw to a great catch and 7 points to back up 10 yards when I’ve been watching them do worse all day . But they preferred a high school offense to a high flying fun to watch NFL offense . Woolen was called for holding when he just legally jammed the guy so hard he about knocked him on his ass. I see the sack on Brady called roughing that helped then . Carr I understand the ref doesn’t know the guy had the ball when he landed on Carr .

But overall I’ve about had it . What is frustrating is some crews are excellent . Then there’s games like ours that make you wonder who is in the take . I’ve never liked that prick from last game and there’s a reason why . A few more Sunday’s like last I’m gonna start working on my old chrysler on Sunday’s . There’s a reason I don’t want to watch Wwf.

That's not how the referee explained the call vs Carr and the Raiders. He said that the fumble was irrelevant, a point of which most observers will differ.

[Hawktawk]

There's an adjustment phase for players from what they can get away with in College and what they can get away with in the NFL.
It's especially noticeable for DBs where there is a lot more contact and holding in Collegen but it's true along the LoS as well.r

North I get that , of course . But it seems something a bit more is happening, a lack of respect . Cross didn’t hold if the same standard used all game was evenly applied . It was a huge swing in the game

I read this same stuff in a SB nation article , how bad that was Sunday . Call an endzone incompletion a TD on replay , same replay guys say catch Fumble by DK , booth disagree on both . Then the hold wiping out the TD. Lucas downfield ? Yes and cost us a 60 yard bomb vs Atl . Nuwosu offside , yep cost us a first down , Hill broke loose a few plays later and we never stopped them again .

Woolen 6 penalty’s ? Looked like about 4 have been hogwash . The refs say we suck and we’re gonna help you suck more . Seattle’s always played the refs it seems but it’s worse now .

[NorthHawk]

Rookies get held to a different standard than All Pros or even veterans.
Just look at the calls that go Brady’s way. It’s not right, but it happens in all sports.
Once they get established the calls or non calls will go their way.

[RiverDog]

Woolen 6 penalty’s ? Looked like about 4 have been hogwash . The refs say we suck and we’re gonna help you suck more . Seattle’s always played the refs it seems but it’s worse now .

More from the guy with the tin foil hat.

Sorry, guy, I'm not going there with you. Every fan base has guys like you that think they're being targeted by the refs.

[Aseahawkfan]

Young team, you get penalties. Doesn't seem to be negatively impacting the offense as they are still putting up a lot of points.

Defensive penalties wouldn't be a problem if the defense weren't so terrible.

[Hawktawk]

As I say I read a news article that completely agrees and watched the game . There was a clear prejudice in the game . It wasn’t Xl. But defend this atrocious officiating . I watched Xl but you defend that too . You wouldn’t know if I have on a tinfoil hat through your rise colored glasses . Jesus you like to argue .

[Hawktawk]

Young team, you get penalties. Doesn't seem to be negatively impacting the offense as they are still putting up a lot of points.

Defensive penalties wouldn't be a problem if the defense weren't so terrible.

There have been horrible penalties on offense . Last week we lost a touchdown to a cross hold that was a joke . Against Atlanta huge hold on Lewis on a huge play by Penny late , part of how we wound up in 4th and 18. Very questionable and Pennys long gone when it’s thrown . Lewis didn’t even need to engage the guy . I’ve felt suspicion about certain calls , games. xl being one obviously . With the money , the ratings it’s hard to believe everything’s always on the up

[Aseahawkfan]

There have been horrible penalties on offense . Last week we lost a touchdown to a cross hold that was a joke . Against Atlanta huge hold on Lewis on a huge play by Penny late , part of how we wound up in 4th and 18. Very questionable and Pennys long gone when it’s thrown . Lewis didn’t even need to engage the guy . I’ve felt suspicion about certain calls , games. xl being one obviously . With the money , the ratings it’s hard to believe everything’s always on the up

We still put up 32 points. And 23 against Atlanta. If the defense were even playing league average, our record probably at 3 and 2 and possibly 4 and 1.

[Hawktawk]

Asea I completely agree. You’re better off with a great defense then a great offense when you’re underwater with officials . I believe our championship team led the league in penalties . Unquestionably when you have no defense then they are penalizing plays you make with tickey tack or non existent calls it’s tough . We would be 4-1 with any mediocre amount of defense in spite of the fact we were a DK drop and a flag drop from 5 TD passes

We need a little defense and a few good honest crews without some hidden gambling addiction or some fan boy preference or fantasy football team or whatever makes some of them decide to call it different depending on the Jersey . Yeah I believe it’s out there . Fight me . XL. It’s the perfect system to manipulate outcomes .

[RiverDog]

Asea I completely agree. You’re better off with a great defense then a great offense when you’re underwater with officials . I believe our championship team led the league in penalties . Unquestionably when you have no defense then they are penalizing plays you make with tickey tack or non existent calls it’s tough . We would be 4-1 with any mediocre amount of defense in spite of the fact we were a DK drop and a flag drop from 5 TD passes

We need a little defense and a few good honest crews without some hidden gambling addiction or some fan boy preference or fantasy football team or whatever makes some of them decide to call it different depending on the Jersey . Yeah I believe it’s out there . Fight me . XL. It’s the perfect system to manipulate outcomes .

Now let me get this straight: We have not been favored to win in any of our 5 games this season, yet the officials are conspiring to keep us from winning due to a hidden gambling addiction of theirs? Don't you generally win more money when you bet on the underdog to beat a favorite?

The moon landings were faked, Bill Gates put microchips in the vaccines, and the Seattle Seahawks are the victims of an underground gambling network.

[NorthHawk]

The refereeing is bad all across the league.
They still need some type of Official in a sky box who is part of their team and can buzz down to either correct calls or make obvious calls.
Until they do something along those lines we will always have bad calls in the game and some will be game changing.

[RiverDog]

The refereeing is bad all across the league.
They still need some type of Official in a sky box who is part of their team and can buzz down to either correct calls or make obvious calls.
Until they do something along those lines we will always have bad calls in the game and some will be game changing.

I agree completely. It's never going to be perfect and fans like HT will always find a conspiracy theory to wrap their arms around, but there's ways that they can improve the system that shouldn't take a lot of effort, and a sky box or control center is a prime example.

Referees are limited because they are looking at the game from field level amongst 22 very large athletes. Having direct communication with someone with multiple angles and telling a ref that they need to consider picking up a flag shouldn't be that hard to do. It doesn't have to occur on every play, but when there's an obvious screw up, like the two roughing the passer penalties this past Sunday, they should get into the crew chief's ear.

[Hawktawk]

XL. Bs. There’s probably as many fans that feel it’s rigged ( at times ) as not . XL. You can be weak fans blaming our team for losing and news flash , when a team can systematically hold all day , especially in the run game your defense isn’t as good as it would be . When it’s bad to start with you have no chance if they can hold . Then they pop Cross for far less wiping out a TD . You’re ok with them swinging the game 17 or so points with calls and replay reversals and saying it’s all our fault go for it . And we have a system called replay that was supposed to help with big calls . They added pi to the list and the refs refused to access it so it was dropped . Every year there’s calls from New York that are wrong and how is that and it usually benefits the better team. Like firefighters and cops and anyone else there’s good and bad refs . Honest and dishonest. We had that crew last Sunday . Much more in XL. I stand by my story and would respect you not attacking me with insults . I didn’t say anyone who thinks it’s all happiness and light with officiating is a complete rube.

[NorthHawk]

Every fan base thinks they are being jobbed by the Refs. Even those that are strong contending teams.

[RiverDog]

XL. Bs. There’s probably as many fans that feel it’s rigged ( at times ) as not . XL. You can be weak fans blaming our team for losing and news flash , when a team can systematically hold all day , especially in the run game your defense isn’t as good as it would be . When it’s bad to start with you have no chance if they can hold . Then they pop Cross for far less wiping out a TD . You’re ok with them swinging the game 17 or so points with calls and replay reversals and saying it’s all our fault go for it . And we have a system called replay that was supposed to help with big calls . They added pi to the list and the refs refused to access it so it was dropped . Every year there’s calls from New York that are wrong and how is that and it usually benefits the better team. Like firefighters and cops and anyone else there’s good and bad refs . Honest and dishonest. We had that crew last Sunday . Much more in XL. I stand by my story and would respect you not attacking me with insults . I didn’t say anyone who thinks it’s all happiness and light with officiating is a complete rube.

I apologize if you feel that I insulted you. It wasn't my intent, so let me put it this way:

I am astounded at how many otherwise intelligent people, and you would fall into this category, that will wrap their arms around a conspiracy theory without so much as a shred of credible evidence. The American public is thirsting for sensational stories. Incompetence and human error are simply not sexy enough explanations to satisfy our conspiratorial minds. Every story has to have a villain, someone behind the curtains pushing levers and throwing switches. Hollywood has conditioned us to be susceptible to these conspiracy theories, and they've made a huge mint selling them to us.

And North Hawk is exactly right. You are not alone in your suspicions. I remember Saints fans back in 2019, when they got screwed out of a Super Bowl appearance due to an obviously flagrant pass interference no call in the NFCCG, were convinced that the league did not want a team playing in their home stadium in the Super Bowl and had instructed the refs to make sure that the Saints lost that game.

So you're not alone, my friend. There's a lot of very smart people that believe in these wacky conspiracy theories, and they don't need any evidence to convince themselves of it.

[mykc14]

XL. Bs. There’s probably as many fans that feel it’s rigged ( at times ) as not . XL. You can be weak fans blaming our team for losing and news flash , when a team can systematically hold all day , especially in the run game your defense isn’t as good as it would be . When it’s bad to start with you have no chance if they can hold . Then they pop Cross for far less wiping out a TD . You’re ok with them swinging the game 17 or so points with calls and replay reversals and saying it’s all our fault go for it . And we have a system called replay that was supposed to help with big calls . They added pi to the list and the refs refused to access it so it was dropped . Every year there’s calls from New York that are wrong and how is that and it usually benefits the better team. Like firefighters and cops and anyone else there’s good and bad refs . Honest and dishonest. We had that crew last Sunday . Much more in XL. I stand by my story and would respect you not attacking me with insults . I didn’t say anyone who thinks it’s all happiness and light with officiating is a complete rube.

So, Game one the refs gambled against the Broncos? Bad calls are in no way evidence of some secret underground officiating gambling ring. XL was bad, but do you really think it was rigged? Was our SB vs. that Pat's Rigged? There is no way the officials are rigging a random game between the Hawks and Saints. What do you think happened? The umpire got a buzz from above that told him to throw a flag? I know you are going to your grave thinking it was a BS holding call and overall it was, but if you saw the view from the official you can see why he called it. It clearly looks like a hold for at least a second. Cross is engaged outside of the frame (his left arm is holding the defender around the outside of the defender's left shoulder pad.) Geno rolls out to his left. The defender then tries to go outside with Geno. As he attempts to go outside Cross is still holding his shoulder pad/jersey. Although that in and of itself does not constitute a hold it does definitely looks like a hold for at least a second as the defender is trying to pull outside and cross his holding him outside of his frame. Because Cross does let go and dis-engages I believe it shouldn't have been called, but I can at least see why it was called from the officials perspective. It wasn't like there was no ground whatsoever for a hold. Often times holds are judgment calls and this was one of them. How long did Cross hold onto the defender before he let him go? That is the judgement and I can see why the official threw it. I would say it was definitely ticky-tack and slightly BS but some evidence of an underwound gambling ring? I think not.

[Aseahawkfan]

I've been reading lots of complaints around the league due to penalties. I know ever since Tua took that hit, refs have been real careful on roughing the passer calls. That instruction came down from up on high likely.

I don't think about the refs much. If you're complaining about losing due to bad reffing, you're looking for an excuse other than your team's failures. The team has to step up and win regardless of what obstacles get in the way. That's sports. Never heard of them changing a victory because some ref made a bad call.

[RiverDog]

I've been reading lots of complaints around the league due to penalties. I know ever since Tua took that hit, refs have been real careful on roughing the passer calls. That instruction came down from up on high likely.

You can believe what you want, but according to the league, no such instructions were ever issued:

The NFL did not give officials a directive to emphasize roughing-the-passer penalties following Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, but the topic will be discussed next week when NFL owners meet in New York, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/NFL-roughing ... 9860c55741

I don't think about the refs much. If you're complaining about losing due to bad reffing, you're looking for an excuse other than your team's failures. The team has to step up and win regardless of what obstacles get in the way. That's sports. Never heard of them changing a victory because some ref made a bad call.

I don't, either. I was conditioned early on not in my childhood not to make excuses. My parents would scold me severely if I came home complaining about a referee, umpire, teacher, a boss, or any other authority figure. "Life's not fair, get used to it!" was a common response from my old man. As a result, I have very little sympathy for people that come up with excuses to justify their shortcomings. That's always going to be my default position, at least initially.

[Aseahawkfan]

You can believe what you want, but according to the league, no such instructions were ever issued:

The NFL did not give officials a directive to emphasize roughing-the-passer penalties following Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, but the topic will be discussed next week when NFL owners meet in New York, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/NFL-roughing ... 9860c55741

Could just be some of the refs taking it upon themselves to call it. I don't know what happened behind the scenes. For all I know some ref was severely yelled out for not penalizing Tua getting pushed down or just a general talk about safety with no emphasis. I know some of these penalties since he got that concussion have been real strange.

[RiverDog]

You can believe what you want, but according to the league, no such instructions were ever issued:

The NFL did not give officials a directive to emphasize roughing-the-passer penalties following Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, but the topic will be discussed next week when NFL owners meet in New York, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/NFL-roughing ... 9860c55741

Could just be some of the refs taking it upon themselves to call it. I don't know what happened behind the scenes. For all I know some ref was severely yelled out for not penalizing Tua getting pushed down or just a general talk about safety with no emphasis. I know some of these penalties since he got that concussion have been real strange.

If there was an effect due to the Tua situation, IMO it's the refs taking it upon themselves to get tougher. If it was anything else, it would have leaked out. You know what they say about secrets...that two people can keep a secret so long as one of them is dead.

Neither of the two most controversial roughing the passers had anything to do with the head and neck area, so I doubt that the refs had the Tua thing in the back of their minds when they made those calls.

[Aseahawkfan]

If there was an effect due to the Tua situation, IMO it's the refs taking it upon themselves to get tougher. If it was anything else, it would have leaked out. You know what they say about secrets...that two people can keep a secret so long as one of them is dead.

Neither of the two most controversial roughing the passers had anything to do with the head and neck area, so I doubt that the refs had the Tua thing in the back of their minds when they made those calls.

You also as a manager know sometimes a memo or talk can come down that doesn't directly say "do this", but it definitely let's everyone involved know they better be watching this situation closely which can change behavior. I know I've seen this at work a lot of times where no one directly says to do something, but the message is clear that you need to watch a particular situation closely and do something about it.

This may just be confirmation bias. But I watched some of those roughing penalties and boy, they were ticky tack even for the usual ticky tack. We won't really know if it is out of the ordinary unless we have some previous seasons to compare to.

[NorthHawk]

I think it was such a preventable injury to Tua (not the Referees fault) that it sent a wave of over caution for a couple
of games.
The calls tend to equal out in the fullness of time so every team gets the short end of the stick as well as the benefit of
bad calls at a relatively equal rate. They seem to hurt more when things aren’t going well, though.

[RiverDog]

I think it was such a preventable injury to Tua (not the Referees fault) that it sent a wave of over caution for a couple
of games.
The calls tend to equal out in the fullness of time so every team gets the short end of the stick as well as the benefit of
bad calls at a relatively equal rate. They seem to hurt more when things aren’t going well, though.

Yup. This notion that refs have a thing for this or that team or that Roger Goodell is influencing the officiating to favor certain teams is ludicrous. They know full well what it would do to the game if a scandal were to break that the game was fixed.

Bad calls are part of the game. They're random events, like getting struck by lightning or bitten by a shark. Good teams overcome them. Bad teams use them to justify their failings.

[Hawktawk]

Saints Rams NFC title game is a great example . Fairly evenly called game till the Saints are clearly going to win then the Rams DB blows up a receiver long before the ball arrived with officials right on top of the play . Pass interference ? Personal foul? Naw . After the game it is learned several officials had ties to the LA area . The Rams are Goodells new buddy . Kinda like the sketchy calls / non calls at the end of last years Super Bowl , hold on Cincy and uncalled false start by the entire rams line . Kind of like a back judge from Pittsburgh who grew up rooting for knolls Steelers in the glory days , played linebacker at Juanita college . He called the opi on Jackson after watching him be held . He had numerous critical non calls vs the Steelers along with every other ref on the crew .
It’s not just calls . Non calls are just as huge , bigger actually . They were as big a part of XL as anything else . I don’t trust the league to be square all the time . Usually ? Yeah till the crunch time where we get a hold call from a ref who is inspecting any way to take 7 off the board . After letting them get away with it all Fing day to they point announcers mentioned it .
There’s no “ otherwise “ to my intelligence. There are many many articles written , many theories for how the NFL is the easiest game to manipulate with things like holds that can be called every play , pi that if called changes field position greatly or if uncalled allows defense of any pass without consequence . Lost in Locketts second TD catch was the fact the defender was draped on his shoulders with his hands across his face mask before the ball got there . Lockett actually caught the ball blind . No flag . Had he dropped it well bad play hawks . Bad throw Geno .
Nothing wrong with my intelligence or my perception but if you all want it up the nether region have at it . Mine has had enough . As I’ve said I’m near to walking away . Considered it in game Sunday watching us be no called into oblivion on holds then know in my mind what was going to happen when we made a big play late .
F this league .

[RiverDog]

Saints Rams NFC title game is a great example . Fairly evenly called game till the Saints are clearly going to win then the Rams DB blows up a receiver long before the ball arrived with officials right on top of the play . Pass interference ? Personal foul? Naw . After the game it is learned several officials had ties to the LA area . The Rams are Goodells new buddy . Kinda like the sketchy calls / non calls at the end of last years Super Bowl , hold on Cincy and uncalled false start by the entire rams line . Kind of like a back judge from Pittsburgh who grew up rooting for knolls Steelers in the glory days , played linebacker at Juanita college . He called the opi on Jackson after watching him be held . He had numerous critical non calls vs the Steelers along with every other ref on the crew .
It’s not just calls . Non calls are just as huge , bigger actually . They were as big a part of XL as anything else . I don’t trust the league to be square all the time . Usually ? Yeah till the crunch time where we get a hold call from a ref who is inspecting any way to take 7 off the board . After letting them get away with it all Fing day to they point announcers mentioned it .
There’s no “ otherwise “ to my intelligence. There are many many articles written , many theories for how the NFL is the easiest game to manipulate with things like holds that can be called every play , pi that if called changes field position greatly or if uncalled allows defense of any pass without consequence . Lost in Locketts second TD catch was the fact the defender was draped on his shoulders with his hands across his face mask before the ball got there . Lockett actually caught the ball blind . No flag . Had he dropped it well bad play hawks . Bad throw Geno .
Nothing wrong with my intelligence or my perception but if you all want it up the nether region have at it . Mine has had enough . As I’ve said I’m near to walking away . Considered it in game Sunday watching us be no called into oblivion on holds then know in my mind what was going to happen when we made a big play late .
F this league .

I don't watch professional wrestling because, among other things, I have the impression that it's not a genuine contest, that it's more entertainment than it is competition, actors instead of athletes. If you are so convinced that the NFL is corrupt and that multiple games are fixed, why do you bother watching them as passionately as you do?

[c_hawkbob]

Bad calls are part of the game. They're random events, like getting struck by lightning or bitten by a shark. Good teams overcome them. Bad teams use them to justify their failings.

On the other hand officiating is not a zero sum influencer on games, and officials are the lowest paid human influencers on games; The opportunity for nefarious influence, whether it be for personal rooting interests or monetary gain cannot be completely denied. There will always be Bill Leavys or Tim Donaghys out there.

And that's only addressing intentional influencing, just plain bad officiating is a whole discussion unto itself.

[NorthHawk]

Because of gambling revenue the NFL now receives, it's imperative that they weed out a Referee or potential Referee who may have pressure
or desire to make game changing calls. If something nefarious like that was exposed it could really hit the league in the pocket book, and we all know how tightly the owners clutch their pocket books.
So I think that although the possibility of a Ref on the take is there, a lot of effort is put into stopping or mitigating the possibilities.
Bad refereeing? It's been around since the beginning of sports and unfortunately will continue as long as the human element is involved.

[Hawktawk]

Saints Rams NFC title game is a great example . Fairly evenly called game till the Saints are clearly going to win then the Rams DB blows up a receiver long before the ball arrived with officials right on top of the play . Pass interference ? Personal foul? Naw . After the game it is learned several officials had ties to the LA area . The Rams are Goodells new buddy . Kinda like the sketchy calls / non calls at the end of last years Super Bowl , hold on Cincy and uncalled false start by the entire rams line . Kind of like a back judge from Pittsburgh who grew up rooting for knolls Steelers in the glory days , played linebacker at Juanita college . He called the opi on Jackson after watching him be held . He had numerous critical non calls vs the Steelers along with every other ref on the crew .
It’s not just calls . Non calls are just as huge , bigger actually . They were as big a part of XL as anything else . I don’t trust the league to be square all the time . Usually ? Yeah till the crunch time where we get a hold call from a ref who is inspecting any way to take 7 off the board . After letting them get away with it all Fing day to they point announcers mentioned it .
There’s no “ otherwise “ to my intelligence. There are many many articles written , many theories for how the NFL is the easiest game to manipulate with things like holds that can be called every play , pi that if called changes field position greatly or if uncalled allows defense of any pass without consequence . Lost in Locketts second TD catch was the fact the defender was draped on his shoulders with his hands across his face mask before the ball got there . Lockett actually caught the ball blind . No flag . Had he dropped it well bad play hawks . Bad throw Geno .
Nothing wrong with my intelligence or my perception but if you all want it up the nether region have at it . Mine has had enough . As I’ve said I’m near to walking away . Considered it in game Sunday watching us be no called into oblivion on holds then know in my mind what was going to happen when we made a big play late .
F this league .

I don't watch professional wrestling because, among other things, I have the impression that it's not a genuine contest, that it's more entertainment than it is competition, actors instead of athletes. If you are so convinced that the NFL is corrupt and that multiple games are fixed, why do you bother watching them as passionately as you do?[/quote]
Why don’t you adress these specific questions about calls and non calls in huge moments . Critical bad non calls that decide the NFC championship and they all somehow missed the most blatant PI I’ve ever seen ? Then the league institutes the PI rule and New York was refusing to call or not call or change any play until the rule was dropped . It could be as simple as rooting interest like guys from LA not wanting to be the one to throw the flag . A guy from Pittsburgh , lifelong fan in their heyday makes a couple of awful calls then turns into Stevie wonder . That was worse . Maybe you don’t want to admit it but some things can’t be explained . A team can’t “ overcome “ call and non calls in the closing seconds of ballgames .

Like I said I’m ready to walk .saints gsme about did it . If they would rather favor high school
foot ball to a fun explosive offense I don’t want to watch anyway . Half the games have been unwatchable and the constant parade of hankies is not helping .