Posted on 02/06/2006 6:50:28 AM PST by RedBloodedAmerican
It looked to me like both we jockeying for position and both got their hands involved.
The refs didn't hand this game to anyone. The Steelers did their best to try and lose it but four big plays made the difference (Ward x2, Parker and Taylor). As far as the "bad" calls go...
1) The 1st touchdown: the reply was uncertain so even if the call had gone the other way, it wouldn't have been reversed. IMO Ben made it in when the ball was about 6 to 12 in off the ground. The ball arced into the white paint and then was outside again when it made contact. It's close but that's a touchdown.
2) Holding calls: I don't remember the sequence but I think there were two significant ones. The one that ended up as a takedown was definitely holding; the other was a bad call in my opinion, just a good block.
3) Offensive pass interference in the endzone: both players have an equal right to the ball. If the roles had been reversed and the corner had pushed off the receiver in the exact manner in order to get the pick, everyone would be crying for pass interference and they'd be right. The ref was right too.
4) Some calls went in Seattle's favor: the refs correctly reversed the call that Hasselbeck fumbled the ball during his 4th quarter scramble. Also, I think it was Stevens that "dropped" a pass after getting hit in the first half. He took two steps and turned around - that should have been a fumble...
I agree. That one was bad. The Rothlesburger (sp) touchdown looked like a good call to me after the third of fourth replay. There was one frame that showed the ball barely crossing the end of the white line as his knee was going down.
I didn't like the call on the Seattle Quarterback for blocking below the waist, either. There will always be questionable calls as long as you have humans officiating. If every penalty that ocurred was called, the game would be very boring.
I used to play on the defensive line in a semi-pro league and I had offensive tackles holding and shoving their hands up under my mask on virtually every play. The only time it was called was if the offensive tackle grabbed your jersey and threw you down right in front of official.
Sure it figured in, they scored off that drive, aided by this bad call and the bad holding call, before the interception. that was a 14 point swing in favor of Pit.
I can see how you would argue that Ben's touchdown couldn't be overturned based on the replay; but you folks saying he clearly broke the plane are just seeing what you want to see. There is no single frame of video that shows the football breaking the plane. How you go from that to a "clear" touchdown is interesting.
I think there were loads of bad calls in Pittsburgh's favor all through the postseason, but Roethlisberger did get the ball past the plane of the goal line on that play. It was typical, however, that on a super-close play the call automatically went to the Steelers.
And likewise the missed clipping call on Roethlisberger's interception gave Seattle much better field position on their touchdown drive.
How about the holding they called ahainst Seattle on the punt return? They should of had the ball on the 50 and got it at the 25. I didnt see any holding on the return.
HELLO ALGORE!!!
Nobody is disputing that the refs were horrible, but you cannot say Seattle would have the game even if the officials made the right calls.
The amazing thing about that throw was how "on the money" it was considering Randle El never set his feet to make the thow -- it was completely on the run. Most times a throw like that will sail long, especially when you get such a good spiral out of it.
that wasnt a clip, watch it again. He was hit in the shoulder not in the back. And im not a Seattle fan, I was a Bears fan before this game. Now football is on par with the WWE
Then you weren't looking. There was a clear and blatant hold on the outside contain man that allowed the returner to gain the sideline.
its want clipping
Hasselbeck's fumble looked like a fumble to me. As much as I hate Instant Replay it worked there.
sure i can, and i am! give seattle the 14 points they deserved and take the 7 points away from the Randel el td because they should of had the ball, Seattle should have been 1st & goal. Seattle 24 Pit 14
At first, I thought so too. But the more I think about it, especially with all of the Seattle whiners nit-picking about other calls, I'm not so sure. Hasslebeck was going down of his own voilition (he stumbled). While he was already on the way down, but not yet down, there was incidental contact with a defender. When he hit the ground, he was not touched before the ball came loose. The question is, does that incidental contact constitute "down by contact"? I'm not sure sure... I thought you had to either be touched while down or have gone down as a result of contact with a defender.
not
The game was as bad as the half time show. Being from Texas and a Cowboys fan, I really did not care who won the game, but I got the distinct impression that the Steelers were going to win, regardless of what happened on the field. Madden and Michaels kept talking about the Steelers and how they were going to break it open, and kept teasing us with the upcoming gadget plays, the crowd was stacked with Steelers fans, the bad calls and non-calls went consistently in the Steelers favor. Overall, I thought it as a lethargic game (expect for the 75 yard run!), and it felt like a predetermined outcome was inevitable. I doubt that to be the case, but that's how it felt for me.
The NFL has to do a better job with the Half-Time show. That was as bad as the game, and just as excruciating to watch.
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