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View Full Version : Maurkice Pouncey helped Steelers gain key first down in unusual way



polamalubeast
01-18-2011, 02:11 PM
Several of you have forwarded to us an intriguing clip from early in the fourth quarter of the division-round game between the Steelers and Ravens. And while we’re not prepared to label the maneuver depicted therein as “cheating,” it’s definitely worth pointing out the tactic employed, in the hopes that the officials will be on the lookout for such behavior in the future.

After a third-down pass from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to receiver Antonio Brown moved the ball inside the 15, the officials spotted the ball on the fourteen, with most of the ball behind the stripe on the hash mark. (It actually looked to be a bad spot; Brown seemed to get beyond the 14 when he fell.)

Enter Maurkice Pouncey. As the Steelers lined up for fourth down, Pouncey placed his hand on the ball and moved it noticeably forward, to the other side of the 14. Then, Ravens coach John Harbaugh disrupted the process, apparently because he believed the officials had given the Steelers a first down, and because Harbaugh was considering challenging it. (The more likely reality is that Harbaugh was feigning confusion so that his defense would get a look at the offensive alignment, the time-honored “time out without calling a time out” maneuver.)

Referee Jeff Triplette announced there would be no challenge to the spot because the officials had not given the Steelers a first down, which should have been obvious from the fact that the chains had not, you know, moved. A shot of the ball then showed it resting at the spot to which Pouncey had moved it before Harbaugh bought time for his defense, with most of it now on the other side of the 14-yard stripe.

Though the clip doesn’t reveal Pouncey moving it a second time (the producer cut to a shot of Roethlisberger moving the offense quickly toward the line), the next image from the traditional in-game sideline camera shows the ball entirely between the 14 and 13.


The officials then intervene, forcing the Steelers to wait to snap the ball until the Ravens have a chance to line up.

And then Pouncey puts his hand on the ball and moves it again.

In the end, fourth and one became fourth and inches, thanks to what amounted to three separate movements of the ball by Pouncey. Roethlisberger then easily converted the first down on a different kind of “sneak”.




read more

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/18/maurkice-pouncey-helped-steelers-gain-key-first-down-in-unusual-wa/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epx1dXu7uiU&feature=player_embedded

El-Gonzo Jackson
01-18-2011, 02:20 PM
Oh yeah, he moves it a good 2 lengths of the ball in total!! Nice work.

Chalk it up to another case of bad officiating. Kind of like how Woodley and Harrison got tackled a few times with no call.

fansince'76
01-18-2011, 02:23 PM
And while we’re not prepared to label the maneuver depicted therein as “cheating”....No, of course not.:rolleyes:

Creative use of the challenge flag by Harbaugh to buy time to make substitutions, by the way. Yeah, I'm sure he wasn't aware of the down and distance. :coffee:

NJarhead
01-18-2011, 02:40 PM
Single most retarded argument I have EVER heard from ANYONE.

I think this guy is filling in for the regular football writer and he probably writes for Golf magazine.

Center moves the ball before the snap? Ya don't say! They do that you fricking moron!

But the best part has GOT to be his dip shit speculation on Harbaugh playing dumb. Yea, lets ignore that and the fact that he should probably been charged a time out and go with "center moves the ball 6 inches" but still snaps it back.

Dude, just kill yourself; you're clearly useless in this world.

fansince'76
01-18-2011, 02:40 PM
Chalk it up to another case of bad officiating. Kind of like how Woodley and Harrison got tackled a few times with no call.

Yep. But notice how that doesn't get mentioned, along with yet another shot to the head on Ben that went uncalled and which led directly to a TD for them. No, those damn Stealers had the refs in their back pockets again. :coffee:

ALLD
01-18-2011, 03:03 PM
That is a non-issue. I played center and you have to move the ball, otherwise you put your ass in the QB's face. Yes he moved it a bit, but the OL did not move ahead or benefit from it.

Texasteel
01-18-2011, 03:03 PM
I believe this is a common practice of most if not all veteran centers. This kid is already playing like a 5 year veteran. I don't know who unveiled this shocking revelation, but he needs to actually watch a few more games.

Edman
01-18-2011, 03:19 PM
Those damn Stealers and their penalty flag defense!

Devilsdancefloor
01-18-2011, 03:35 PM
I believe this is a common practice of most if not all veteran centers. This kid is already playing like a 5 year veteran. I don't know who unveiled this shocking revelation, but he needs to actually watch a few more games.

i agree all the vet centers move the ball forward he just had a few chance to do it since harbaugh was playing dumb trying to give ray ray a breather

fansince'76
01-18-2011, 03:43 PM
After reading some of the comments on that "article," it's time for the inaugural appearance on SU of....

The Whiny-Assed Crybaby's Primer to NFL Officiating

1. Any and every call and no-call which benefits any and every opponent of the Steelers is always 100% correct and fair.

2. Any and every call and no-call which benefits the Steelers in any way, shape or form, are never correct and always the result of paid-off refs and unfair favoritism by the NFL and the Steelers-loving media.

Dino 6 Rings
01-18-2011, 03:44 PM
see its all part of the master plan...we get the QB suspended for 6 games in the preseason, move that to 4 games, get rid of our Super Bowl MVP WR cause of a looming drug suspension, then play 4 games with 3 different QBs an unknown guy called Wallace, Ward and a couple Rookies that have beaten out Randel El on the roster...then...we HIT TOO HARD and get FINED for the first half of the season, but wait...we also get our QB back after going 3-1, he gets hit late all the time withouth flags...then he gets his nose busted with an illegal hit to the face without a flag...then...we also get 15 yard pentalties all year for hitting to hard, way too hard...we get holding calls on our Oline every game...Flozel becomes one of the most penalized guys in football, after he has to play because not one, but 2 of our starting tackles go down for the season and are on IR, so we bring him in, and then, wait for it, we have our Oline, decimated to the point that our 3rd string TE is actually in position to be the back up back up back up Tackle in a pinch, oh and then there is...the refs blow a call on the opening kickoff in our first playoff game and don't call someone down so we blow a challenge, then we get a non-whistle on what everyone thought was an incomplete pass...and give up a garbage touchdown to the Ravens in the playoffs, use our challenge and our out of challenges for the rest of the game....and see, that was all the Steelers Cheating.

Right...see its the master plan...all that was planned from the begining of the season.

Psycho Ward 86
01-18-2011, 05:32 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epx1dXu7uiU&feature=player_embedded

LMFAO. Nice job Pouncey!

NJarhead
01-18-2011, 05:36 PM
After reading some of the comments on that "article," it's time for the inaugural appearance on SU of....

The Whiny-Assed Crybaby's Primer to NFL Officiating

1. Any and every call and no-call which benefits any and every opponent of the Steelers is always 100% correct and fair.

2. Any and every call and no-call which benefits the Steelers in any way, shape or form, are never correct and always the result of paid-off refs and unfair favoritism by the NFL and the Steelers-loving media.


Nailed it!

SMR
01-18-2011, 05:49 PM
After reading some of the comments on that "article," it's time for the inaugural appearance on SU of....

The Whiny-Assed Crybaby's Primer to NFL Officiating

1. Any and every call and no-call which benefits any and every opponent of the Steelers is always 100% correct and fair.

2. Any and every call and no-call which benefits the Steelers in any way, shape or form, are never correct and always the result of paid-off refs and unfair favoritism by the NFL and the Steelers-loving media.


Beautiful! :lol:

Craic
01-18-2011, 06:17 PM
Sorry, but that is once again, called a Risk/Reward assessment. I feel like a broken record here.

I said it about Cromartie when he held Wallace- Risk (1st down and goal), reward (no td- maybe not even a reception). That isn't cheating, it isn't a blatantly unfair act intended to defraud the game. It is a choice within the game where the consequences are considered worth the risk.

Same here. Risk (actually being called offsides, a 10 yard penalty to make it 3rd and almost 11) reward (gaining almost a yard before the snap to ensure the first down).

There is no difference there. NICE veteran move--from a rookie.

El-Gonzo Jackson
01-18-2011, 08:03 PM
Hey, if Matt Birk had done that and things worked out the other way, I would be a little sour. But I would look at the turnovers and dropped passes that lost the game, not 20" in field position that the center got by moving the ball.

st33lersguy
01-18-2011, 08:23 PM
After reading some of the comments on that "article," it's time for the inaugural appearance on SU of....

The Whiny-Assed Crybaby's Primer to NFL Officiating

1. Any and every call and no-call which benefits any and every opponent of the Steelers is always 100% correct and fair.

2. Any and every call and no-call which benefits the Steelers in any way, shape or form, are never correct and always the result of paid-off refs and unfair favoritism by the NFL and the Steelers-loving media.

They do this while simultaneously ignoring what happened to the steelers the entire 2nd half of the game, or every other play where James Harrison gets tackled with no penalty called.

86WARD
01-18-2011, 08:51 PM
Of course he moved it. It happens every play. The difference here is the "free time out" allowed Pouncey to do it twice...blame the officials...lol...

X-Terminator
01-18-2011, 09:05 PM
After reading some of the comments on that "article," it's time for the inaugural appearance on SU of....

The Whiny-Assed Crybaby's Primer to NFL Officiating

1. Any and every call and no-call which benefits any and every opponent of the Steelers is always 100% correct and fair.

2. Any and every call and no-call which benefits the Steelers in any way, shape or form, are never correct and always the result of paid-off refs and unfair favoritism by the NFL and the Steelers-loving media.

I still love this! :applaudit: But seriously...why do you bother reading the comments? Every idiot in the world posts there. I'd rather NOT have my IQ drained, thanks.

Count Steeler
01-18-2011, 09:15 PM
In a game of inches, he can make a big difference. Way to go rookie.

stlrtruck
01-18-2011, 09:26 PM
watch any game and you'll see every center in the league moves the ball forward when they touch it.

tube517
01-18-2011, 11:03 PM
Except Sean Mahan. He moved it back and also started falling down before the snap to allow defensive players to get to Ben faster.


i agree all the vet centers move the ball forward he just had a few chance to do it since harbaugh was playing dumb trying to give ray ray a breather

fansince'76
01-18-2011, 11:08 PM
Hey, if Matt Birk had done that and things worked out the other way, I would be a little sour. But I would look at the turnovers and dropped passes that lost the game, not 20" in field position that the center got by moving the ball.

Exactly. If we had lost that game, I'd be blaming the two turnovers that led to two cheap TDs, not a frigging center moving the damn ball six inches forward.

Borski
01-18-2011, 11:15 PM
Exactly. If we had lost that game, I'd be blaming the two turnovers that led to two cheap TDs, not a frigging center moving the damn ball six inches forward.

nah, its gotta be the center. :jerkit:

Psycho Ward 86
01-18-2011, 11:26 PM
Except Sean Mahan. He moved it back and also started falling down before the snap to allow defensive players to get to Ben faster.

LOL

Galax Steeler
01-19-2011, 02:54 AM
If you watch most of the games all the good centers will move the ball no big deal.

CPanther95
01-19-2011, 08:55 AM
Moving the ball forward is normal, but we did gain almost a yard. The fault lies in the frequent stoppages without the refs resetting the ball.

When this happened live, I was laughing that the ball was just about a first down already prior to the final snap.

If you watch it again, you'll even see that the network had to bump the blue line forward in the middle of it all because it wasn't in sync any longer. Ben got over a yard anyway, so it's a moot point - it made no difference in the game.

What would have been really funny is if the D got caught in the neutral zone.