stillers4me
10-25-2010, 03:45 PM
http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom//img/2010/06/07/fs-exclusive-Mike-Pereira_20100607140602_0_0.JPG (http://msn.foxsports.com/writer/Mike_Pereira)Mike Pereira was the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09, having spent the five seasons previous to that as the league's Director of Officiating. He also served as an NFL game official when he acted as side judge for two seasons (1997-98).
Helmet-to-helmets hits were the biggest story of the past week, but I really didn't expect much of that in Week 7, especially after all of the attention it received. I didn't see any cheap shots and there were no penalties for unnecessary roughness on defenseless receivers. A very clean week overall.
However, there were some curious decisions by coaches and officials that are worthy of discussion...................
2. Pittsburgh (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/pittsburgh-steelers/67067) at Miami
THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh had the ball, third-and-goal from the Miami 2-yard line with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, trailing the Dolphins (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/miami-dolphins/67052), 22-20.
THE PLAY: Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger carried the ball two yards and fumbled as he crossed the goal line. It was ruled a touchdown on the field, but the call was challenged by Miami. The play was reversed, however, because during the review, the officials were unable to determine who recovered the ball in the end zone before the players ended up in a scrum. The play, therefore, was ruled dead at the Miami one-yard line, making fourth-and-goal. Pittsburgh kicked a field goal to take a 23-22 lead.
MY TAKE: This was a very unusual play. The ruling differs in the field of play if the ruling was down by contact vs. a play in the end zone, when the ruling is a touchdown. In the field of play, had this play happened, Miami would have lost the challenge since there wasn't indisputable visual evidence to determine who recovered the ball. The down by contact ruling would have stood in that case.
In this case, the officials ruled touchdown and since the ball was loose before it broke the plane, the touchdown ruling was reversed and the ball is returned to the spot of the fumble. Since the ruling changed from a touchdown to the ball being returned to the spot of the fumble, an aspect of the play was changed and therefore, Miami won the challenge.
An interesting footnote: With just over a minute to play on Miami's next possession, on fourth-and-6 from its 33, Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/player/chad-henne/535271) threw a pass that was ruled on the field as an interception by Pittsburgh's James Harrison. Well, it wasn't an interception, as the ball clearly hit the ground. But it wasn't an incomplete pass, either.
It was actually a fumble, and the fumble was recovered by Harrison. It wasn't reviewed and probably should have been. Regardless, no matter what the ruling ended up, the result of the play would have been the same. I can't say I've ever seen that before. No matter whether it was an incompletion, an interception or a fumble, Pittsburgh would have gotten the ball at the same spot.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Jay-Cutler-fumble-goal-line-Ben-Roethlisberger-Steelers-Dolphins-102410
Helmet-to-helmets hits were the biggest story of the past week, but I really didn't expect much of that in Week 7, especially after all of the attention it received. I didn't see any cheap shots and there were no penalties for unnecessary roughness on defenseless receivers. A very clean week overall.
However, there were some curious decisions by coaches and officials that are worthy of discussion...................
2. Pittsburgh (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/pittsburgh-steelers/67067) at Miami
THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh had the ball, third-and-goal from the Miami 2-yard line with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, trailing the Dolphins (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/miami-dolphins/67052), 22-20.
THE PLAY: Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger carried the ball two yards and fumbled as he crossed the goal line. It was ruled a touchdown on the field, but the call was challenged by Miami. The play was reversed, however, because during the review, the officials were unable to determine who recovered the ball in the end zone before the players ended up in a scrum. The play, therefore, was ruled dead at the Miami one-yard line, making fourth-and-goal. Pittsburgh kicked a field goal to take a 23-22 lead.
MY TAKE: This was a very unusual play. The ruling differs in the field of play if the ruling was down by contact vs. a play in the end zone, when the ruling is a touchdown. In the field of play, had this play happened, Miami would have lost the challenge since there wasn't indisputable visual evidence to determine who recovered the ball. The down by contact ruling would have stood in that case.
In this case, the officials ruled touchdown and since the ball was loose before it broke the plane, the touchdown ruling was reversed and the ball is returned to the spot of the fumble. Since the ruling changed from a touchdown to the ball being returned to the spot of the fumble, an aspect of the play was changed and therefore, Miami won the challenge.
An interesting footnote: With just over a minute to play on Miami's next possession, on fourth-and-6 from its 33, Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/player/chad-henne/535271) threw a pass that was ruled on the field as an interception by Pittsburgh's James Harrison. Well, it wasn't an interception, as the ball clearly hit the ground. But it wasn't an incomplete pass, either.
It was actually a fumble, and the fumble was recovered by Harrison. It wasn't reviewed and probably should have been. Regardless, no matter what the ruling ended up, the result of the play would have been the same. I can't say I've ever seen that before. No matter whether it was an incompletion, an interception or a fumble, Pittsburgh would have gotten the ball at the same spot.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Jay-Cutler-fumble-goal-line-Ben-Roethlisberger-Steelers-Dolphins-102410