Hey guys, I'll say right up front that I am a Steeler fan. I first want to say that that was a good game. I know how pissed you guys must be. I'd probably feel the same way if the roles were reversed. However, I think it was the right call, but a terrible explanation. Here's why: The referee signaled a TD. At that point, the play was dead. There would be no reason for the referees to figure out who recovered the fumble because technically, there was none. The fumble only became an issue AFTER the review. In real time, everything happened so quickly, it is understandable that the official could have gotten the call wrong. If you look back at the review, you will notice that Roethlesberger immediately looks at the line judge who is running in signaling TD (and I assume blowing the whistle). He (Big Ben) then does a delayed lunge for the ball. I think where the problem comes in is that the referee didn't simply announce that it was a dead ball, and therefore no fumble. Instead, he said they couldn't figure out who recovered it. So yeah, they screwed up, but not for the reason that many are thinking. Sorry you guys came up on the short end, but I wanted to compliment you all on a good game.
If Ben looked at the Ref and thought it was a TD why did he go after the ball? and A screw up is a screw up no matter what the reason. There was a series of foul ups by the refs on the play. The first one was the ref ruling it a TD when the ball was clearly out before Ben entered the endzone... and it was a comedy of errors from there.
In no football game when a ball comes free, will a player just stop pursuing the ball. You can't tell me that the Steelers around the ball weren't fighting for it when Francis came out with it.
We got jobbed. Plain and simple. Plenty of other screwups in that game, conservative playcalling after Fasanos catch to the 28, not finishing 5 drives and settling for field goals. This team, probably more the coaching staff, lacks the killer instinct to put teams away. We get inside the 30 and all of a sudden were calling safe plays instead of going for the throat. But after all that we still had the lead and a fumble recovery in the endzone, sorry Ben if your arm was touching the thing it was underneath Alma-Francis (and you pulled it out to keep it from breaking because it was under Alma-Francis) because he was on top of it. We got jobbed.
If signaling a TD (which coincides with blowing the whistle) doesn't end the play, then what does? That comment didn't even make sense.
No argument. It should have been ruled a fumble from the start. If it had, there would have been a totally different ooutcome (of the play, abnd probably the game). Of course you guys had 2:30 minutes and you turned the ball ov er on downs, so there its not out of the realm of possibility that you would have done the same thing, had you recovered the ball and still lost. We'll never know.
The worst part of the ref that made that call is there's no way he was even in a position to make that call. If you watch the replay from the angle that the official who first signalled touchdown was at, theres no way he had any business making the call since ben's back was turned to him. He could not see the football. But he had to have clearly seen it was loose and rolling around in the endzone, so why even attempt to signal a touchdown there. Its inexcusable.
It's cool, dude...We have ourselves to blame with that last drive. It would have been nice to get out of there with the win, but the reality is we put ourselves in that position and we still only needed a FG to win it. You're Defense is downright nasty and I never knew Wallace was so fast. I think Woodley and Keisel being out had a lot to do with our output. BTW-Is Ward ever going to retire?
First of all this explanation is hog wash because one of the ref first signal fumble and the the line judge came in to call TD. Get over this Ben lunging bull crap. Steeler won because the league wanted them to win. Plain and simple. This is an easy call and just another f*** bullsh*t like the tuck rule. Replay clearly show the dolphins came out with the ball and the back judge even said White ball.
Thanks for coming in here and being level-headed (not gloating). However, you're actually wrong. It was clearly explained that the play was not blown dead and that had the refs had clear video evidence of who recovered the fumble, they would have awarded Miami the football (the ref explained that on the field). In addition, the line judge told linebacker Carlos Dansby that though he saw Miami come up with the football his hands were tied because, by rule, the refs on the field had to overrule what they saw with their own eyes and defer to the video tape. It's basically a loophole in the rule book that I'm sure they'll fix sooner than later. Either way, great game by both teams. Just sucks that Miami was on the short end of an extremely crappy call/rule.
Here's a perspective. Rothlesberger fumbled before breaking the line, the refs acknowledged white ball, Francis comes out of the scrum with the ball, refs make a ****ty call. Dansby “(The refs) took the ball from Ike. They took the ball from him. I talked to the back judge, I said, ‘Man, you know we had the ball.’ He said. ‘Yeah, 59 had the ball. It’s out of our hands, it’s out of our control.’” “Give me an explanation. Why didn’t we win this game? Give me an explanation why we don’t got the ball right now on the 20 yard line. He said it’s out of their control.”
This is bull****. It wasnt a dead ball. If it was, it wouldnt have been reviewable. You guys got a big break. Dont try to say it wasnt. That call sucked ***. Now, I dont blame officials, but if I did, I would say they ****ed us. Go back to your own board with that bull****.
First ref error: Ref shouldn't call TD when there is reasonable doubt. Second error: dead ball is not the issue. issue was video evidence of the ball recovery. That is, video ref couldn't be bothered forwarding tape to see Ike coming up with the ball but just focused on the pile instead.
The refs made a bad call calling it a TD in the first place and ****ed it some more by making the call they made. What I find interesting is how Ben lies to the press first "I was hit so hard my arm was numb" then "I had my arms around the ball". I can't believe he would lie like that.
i have no issue with the review. but, the play shouldnt have been blown dead in the first place. the ref signals a TD when he can't even see the ball??
He blew the play dead way too soon after seeing ONLY what he wanted to see. That is where the problem began and that's where it ended.