A historic drop in penalty flags has helped reduce the spotlight on NFL officers in 2020. So has the abolition of the resumption review for passing interference. But the arrival of post-season football has lifted control over every questionable call, interpretation of rules and review.
Carefree. We are here for you. The following is a real-time breakdown of the calls you shook your head, shouted at on TV, or were otherwise confused during the wild-card round. The latest pieces are at the top,.
Rams RB Cam Akers’ smoking was reversed
Rams-Seahawks wild card game, remaining 46 seconds in the first half
What happened: Officials decided that the Seahawks’ defensive end, Carlos Dunlap, took the ball out of the Akers after a 3-meter run. The recovery was credited by Seahawks defender Ryan Neal, giving Seattle the ball at the Rams’ 26-yard line.
How it was solved: The call was reversed in review resumption. The NFL ruled that Akers fell through contact before he stuttered, and the Rams retained possession.
Analyze: The league finally managed to go right, but like a few other calls I saw over the wild-card weekend, it was hard to believe that NFL officials would see this game as a joke. Akers was lying on his back with the ball tightly in his arm when Dunlap first tried to undress the ball. At least one official initially convicted Akers, but was overturned. It is always possible for views to be blocked, and sometimes, when in doubt, officials govern a turnover to ensure that it can be correctly assessed in replay by automatic review.
But in this case, the replay could have revised the song, no matter if it was less than two minutes. It was the kind of decision that eroded confidence in the overall competence of the company.
Officials raised the flag at Rams QB’s head
Rams-Seahawks wild card game, remaining 5:40 in the first quarter
What happened: As Rams defender John Wolford fell to the ground after a two-meter run, Seahawks safety Jamal Adams lowered his right shoulder and hit Wolford in the head. Officials initially threw a flag at Adams. Wolford gave Jared Goff a quick hug as he left the field.
How it was solved: Referee John Hussey announced that there would be no penalty as Wolford was considered a runner and therefore not subject to the protections normally granted to defenders.
Analyze: It is true that Wolford would not receive defender protection in that piece, but the original flag was still deserved. It’s still a useless mistake, according to the NFL’s rule book, because Wolford sank to the ground and thus gave up. This means that he is classified as a defenseless player, and opponents are prohibited from forcibly hitting the head or neck area of these players. It was the second year in a row that the Seahawks eliminated a starting quarterback from a playoff game with a header. In this case, Jadeveon Clowney’s shot on Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was considered incidental and not forced. Meanwhile, Wolford was taken to hospital for precautionary measures, according to a Rams spokesman.
How come this wasn’t a Colts joke?
Colts-Bills wild card game, remaining 50 seconds in the fourth quarter
What happened: In the fourth and 10th of the Colts ‘final possession of the game, receiver Zach Pascal was credited with a 17-meter catch and fell to Bills’ 46-meter line. Pascal got up and fumbled, which was recovered by Bill in what would have been a play piece. However, field officials decided that Pascal fell through contact after initially falling.
How it was solved: Bills coach Sean McDermott requested a timeout as the Colts rushed to the line of scrimmage, but could not challenge because they were less than 2 minutes into the game. During the expiration, Al Riveron’s senior NFL vice president reviewed the appeal. It was not immediately clear if his review stopped the game or if it was McDermott’s expiration time. Regardless, referee Brad Allen announced that the appeal will remain without further explanation.
Analyze: The NFL said on Twitter that there was no clear and obvious evidence available to quash the judgment and that no joint report was requested in Buffalo to further explain. Because the replays seemed to confirm that Pascal had not been contacted before he got up and that he was not down when he lost possession of the ball. We will update this post if the NFL or Riveron offers any additional explanation. But with all the evidence available at the moment, the bills should have taken possession. If the Colts had drawn or won the game – the bills would have won 27-24 – this decision would have been intensely examined.
Into the #INDvsBUF, the decision on the field is that the runner fell through contact. There was no clear and obvious visual evidence to overturn the judgment, so it is valid. pic.twitter.com/1QmUW2Sjcj
– NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) January 9, 2021
The watch runs after falls outside the limits
Colts-Bills wild card game, remaining 26 seconds in the fourth quarter
What happened: The clock in the game continued to run after Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. went out of bounds.
How it was solved: The clock has not been stopped.
Analyze: This play caused a bit of outrage on social media, but it was a proper administration of the game. An out-of-bounds fight is not the same as a player who goes out of bounds. According to the NFL rule book: “If a ball or a pass from a player goes out of bounds, the game clock starts at the referee’s signal that a ball has been returned to the field of play.”
Invoices credited with two by – catches
Colts-Bills wild card game, under 2 minutes, second quarter
What happened: Invoice receiver Gabriel Davis was credited with secondary receipts of 37 and 19 meters. In both cases, frame-by-frame replays indicated that both legs may not have been lowered.
How it was solved: With less than 2 minutes left, the NFL replay official instituted reviews of both tracks. In each case, the referee Brad Allen only announced that the initial appeal remained. Allen did not explain why there was an officer’s hat on the field when Davis made the first catch; this often means that a player or players have run out of limits and are no longer eligible recipients.
A revolting touch from Gabriel Davis 😳 @ DavisGB1 @BuffaloBills
📺 #INDvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/JPb0PYq5SO
– Verification (@thecheckdown) January 9, 2021
Analyze: You could make a frame-by-frame assessment that Davis’ left foot touched the white side of the sideline after the first catch. The same goes for the second reception, where you may not have fully executed a slide before going out of bounds. But the NFL’s playing system requires a much higher standard than “it could.” It should be “clear and obvious”, preferably in live-speed action, that Davis went out of bounds before winning possession. If the on-the-spot decision had been incomplete, the review system would probably have confirmed this as well.