Officials hand game to Falcons

[VF21]

ANOTHER huge game-altering call by an official that was simply ludicrous at best and almost criminal otherwise.

The Falcons-Saints game was excellent. Both teams refusing to give up, despite a few errors but lots of good football.

Then, at the very end, when it looked like the game would definitely go into overtime, the Falcons tried a desperation FG with barely 3 seconds left on the clock ... and missed.

Time expired and we were on our way to overtime.

At least we would have been except for the overzealous call of HOLDING by one official.

The holding call - which was in no way related to the missed FG - gave the Falcons an additional 5 yards and an automatic first down. Their kicker lined up and, as the clock expired, kicked the winning FG.

My complaint is that holding could be called on virtually every play run in the NFL. They don't because, unless it's actually a hold that is relevant to the game, it just slows the game down to a crawl.

Any official who would make that call has just ruined an entire game - the game should have gone to overtime to be decided. By allowing a do-over on a critical FG like that, the official left a very bad taste in the mouth of virtually everyone. What makes it worse is that the officials could have simply picked up the flag, but they didn't. Their stubbornness in picking that particular time to enforce a minor holding call shows the NBA isn't the only game with officiating problems

Boo on the officials.

 

[BigWaxer]

Wrong game VF... Dallas game went into OT.

You are thinking about the ATL game
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=251016018

 

[acisking]

sorry vf...but that was a fair call becuz it was a clear infringement of the rules
minor play or not...if uts illegal, its illegal...i respect the officials for calling it (p.s. you got the wrong teams)

 

[BigWaxer]

I should add I do agree with you VF. That was a bogus call and they won the game for them. The kicker missed the FG which had nothing to do with the Defensive HOLD. As Ditka said this morning in the pre-game show the officials could call holding on every play if they wanted to. Looks to me like a ref had some money on the game

 

[VF21]

sorry vf...but that was a fair call becuz it was a clear infringement of the rules
minor play or not...if uts illegal, its illegal...i respect the officials for calling it (p.s. you got the wrong teams)

I fixed the wrong team thing, which BigWaxer was quick to point out.

As far as the fair calls goes, you're technically correct but wrong in practical application.

I don't know how much NFL football you've watched but "holding" is something that occurs to a certain extent on virtually every single play. It's up to the officials to decide whether or not it should be called. Generally, if it's away from the play, doesn't affect the action, etc. they aren't going to go out of their way to call it.

To call a ticky-tacky penalty like that with 2 seconds left and the game headed for overtime is wrong. They basically gave Atlanta a free do-over and that is not the intent of the rule or the usual application.

 

[ONEZERO]

although i wanted the falcons to win, that call was straight BS.

 

[Fillmoe]

that call was pretty wack....... game should have went to OT

 

[loopymitch]

My friend is diehard Falcons fan and even he said it was wrong. Games should not be decided like that!

 

[iheartBrad]

Didn't see the game...but maybe the officials had a hot party to attend after the game and didn't want to go to overtime...if thats the case its definetly understandable

No but really a play like that shouldn't decide the game...its like a chippy foul on a last second shot in basketball...you just don't call it

 

[Fillmoe]

is it just me or lately has their been alot of silly calls in football? did anyone watch the beginning of the texans/seattle game? there was 6 penalties in the first minute of the game.... they had only ran 2 plays!

 

[ONEZERO]

^^^^ sports as a whole have become weak and referee dominated. Sad, very sad.