Getting the pass off in time has nothing to do with it. When the ref sees the hold, he reaches for his flag. He's not trying to decide "if" the guy being held could get into the play or not. He has no way on knowing that.
And if they call that a push-off in the playoffs, you got to call that 10 times a game. Give me a break. In the playoffs, let them play. This isn't Week 3, this was the Superbowl.
It would be called 10 times a game if they saw it every time. The problem is they don't. Each official can only watch for one thing at a time. Same with holding on the line. It does not happen "every play" like Madden says, but it happens far more than it is called. Why? There are two officials watching for holding on the interior line --- the Referee and the Umpire They can't follow every block and they are often screened by these giants, so they do miss holding, offensive and defensive, many times. But when they see it, they call it and it does not matter diddly squat if it "changed" the outcome of the play.
As to "letting them play", doesn't that go both ways? On that end zone play, if the Steeler had pushed off and made the interception, would you say "let them play?"
As to pushing off in that situation, the receiver was stupid. First, he probably didn't have to push, and second, he knows, or should know that the Back Judge is stationed 10 feet behind him right on the end line and couldn't possibly miss the push. That's sort of like speeding past the police station.
It was a good call on a stupid foul, but don't blame the official --- he was doing his job and letting the defensive player "play too.'
It's amazing how having 32 cameras at the game and talking heads in the booth with the luxury of instant replay and the job requirement to "say something -- anything" has convinced people that officiating in the NFL has gone down hill. It hasn't. It's about the same as it's always been and always will be. Imperfect --- just like the players.
My point is, they let more stuff go in the playoffs, whether it be hockey, basketball or football. But for some reason, the refs were calling ticky tack fouls, as Michael Irvin said. I'm not changing my mind on the hold, it was a very questionable call. As was the push-off. I'm not the only one who thinks it either. And the Hasselbeck call for "blocking" below the knees? LOL. That was called a tackle, LOL - SI.com, Sportsline.com and Espn.com have polls that say the refs were the biggest goat of the game. Don't tell me the Seahawks fans are piling on here. It seems to me there are more Steelers fans out there. So something is definately up. BTW, I'm a big Steelers fan from the 70s, too. It's just too bad there were so many bad calls in this game.