NFL tells refs to call the playoffs the same as the regular season

[stillers4me]

Should referees approach the playoffs with an attitude of getting out of the way and letting the players play? Not according to the league office, which says officials are instructed to call playoff games the same way they call regular-season games.

NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said in a video distributed to the media that although the NFL saw a decline in penalties per game from the regular season into the wild card round, that isn’t the intent of the league. Instead, Blandino has told his officials that a penalty in the regular season should be a penalty in the playoffs, and a play they’d let go in the regular season should be a play they let go in the playoffs..........

Read more @ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/11/nfl-tells-refs-to-call-the-playoffs-the-same-as-the-regular-season/#comments

[Count Steeler]

So who are they going to screw this week? Vegas should start putting odds up on that each week. Or, guess the number of apologies that the NFL will have to issue on Tuesday morning.

[Chidi29]

As it should be. Teams want consistency. Not a sudden change with everything on the line.

[steeldawg]

I hope they are going to call it the same

[fansince'76]

As it should be. Teams want consistency. Not a sudden change with everything on the line.

Consistency would actually be a first...

[Moose]

Should referees approach the playoffs with an attitude of getting out of the way and letting the players play? Not according to the league office, which says officials are instructed to call playoff games the same way they call regular-season game.

Damn, that mean's this will be a pathetically officiated play-off, with the 'gimmee' teams winning. Get rid of ref's !!

[Dwinsgames]

so the league wants them to screw it all up ? LMAO that is what they said is it not ?

[fansince'76]

so the league wants them to screw it all up ? LMAO that is what they said is it not ?

Pretty much. Glad I'm not watching...

[steelreserve]

"Still be dumb."

That's all the memo probably said.

[ALLD]

I saw the 49ers and the Broncos get the breaks today. The Broncos were holding all over the field for what Heath Miller would draw a flag on. Their last TD as of 7:17 pm to go up 24-7 on the run by Moreno was opened up by a giant uncalled and obvious hold on the edge.

It is obvious that the NFL wants certain teams in the championship games. Might be more than a coincidence that the Patriots won the SB right after 911 and the Saints right after Katrina. I think it's fixed.

[NCSteeler]

I saw the 49ers and the Broncos get the breaks today. The Broncos were holding all over the field for what Heath Miller would draw a flag on. Their last TD as of 7:17 pm to go up 24-7 on the run by Moreno was opened up by a giant uncalled and obvious hold on the edge.

It is obvious that the NFL wants certain teams in the championship games. Might be more than a coincidence that the Patriots won the SB right after 911 and the Saints right after Katrina. I think it's fixed.

I' m. Anti conspiracy but finding it harder every day with the NFL. Refs either in the bag or completely inept in the Carolina game. It was obvious they called panthers and then didn't call 9 ers on the same type of deal. I didn't see enough of the Denver game to know, but I would guess the league loves a manning Brady match up

[SteelerFanInStl]

I saw the 49ers and the Broncos get the breaks today. The Broncos were holding all over the field for what Heath Miller would draw a flag on. Their last TD as of 7:17 pm to go up 24-7 on the run by Moreno was opened up by a giant uncalled and obvious hold on the edge.

It is obvious that the NFL wants certain teams in the championship games. Might be more than a coincidence that the Patriots won the SB right after 911 and the Saints right after Katrina. I think it's fixed.

The officiating in the Niners/Panthers game was heavily sided to the Niners. So much in the first half that it was just ridiculous.

I didn't think that the Broncos game was sided to one side or the other. Was the hold that you were talking about on Welker? I remember one obvious one on him that wasn't called. Offensive holding happens on every play so I've kind of gotten used to it not getting called. It seems like the officials have been told not to call it.

[ALLD]

I think it was Welker just before they scored their last TD. I am on Central Time, so that might have thrown you off. #31 was being held and threw his arms up to no call. Heath has been called on that every time.

[NCSteeler]

One of the most missed (or so it seems to me) is blocking before the catch on screens, that is unless your Heath Miller

[steelreserve]

The 49ers got all the breaks? Are you kidding? If you're talking about the penalty on the last drive of the first half, remember that they also nearly took that touchdown away with an incorrect call, which only ended up being fixed because of the extra time for the penalty on the 49ers for being mad about the blown call. And if you mean the pass interference call on the play prior to that, it sucked but was the right call; the defender just ran over the guy with his back to the ball the whole time.

There was also a pretty bullcrap roughing-the-passer call against SF that kept the Panthers' last-chance drive going when it would've been 4th and really long. People sort of forgot about that because Newton threw an interception anyway two plays later, but if it affected the game, people would've been bitching and moaning the other way.

If the league was going to play favorites in that game, don't you think it'd be favoring Carolina anyway? They'd like nothing more than a landmark win for the Next Great Up-And-Coming Young Dual-Threat Quarterback From a Team People Aren't Tired of Yet. Then he could be in 50 Gatorade and shoe commercials and take RGIII's place as the guy they talk about all day, every day for an entire offseason. The 49ers? Please. They want you to make it to the big dance once so you can fire up your fan base for a few years, then wait your turn.