Coyle also said today that the Steelers offense was never set and the play should have never counted.
http://www.miamidolphins.com/multim...ose-Call/afc1c4aa-2771-451c-b246-158fc2a0b240 Coyle http://www.miamidolphins.com/multim...ttsburgh/bfc3c5a9-7ead-4735-94d8-f33c764b0751 Sherm http://www.miamidolphins.com/multim...Steelers/aa3a60fc-a2cc-4f4b-9eaa-7eb476efd4c5 Philbin
Samphin was right in that the Steelers weren't set at the beginning of the play. The left WR is moving (not much but slowly toward the line) the whole time the ball is being snapped. Not called even though a lineman is there. I'm also fairly sure that once a forward lateral has been thrown, even something absolutely sideways is considered a forward lateral, just like a perfectly sideways pass from a QB is ruled a completion rather than a pitch or backward lateral. It goes to completion yards rather than rushing yards. Watching the play over and over ([video]http://www.nfl.com/big-play-highlights[/video]), I'm certain the play was a forward lateral. Conversely, I'm just as sure that the replay would not have been overturned... too much has gone against the Dolphins historically for me to believe that. I'm sure that sounds like sour grapes to some, but it's hard for me to have watched as many games as I have and not remember. I will say, I don't remember many of these where a ref made a decision that went in our favor in the closing moments of a game. I'm sure it's a bias-perception thing, but still... So, yes, I'm relieved as anything that an official caught the outside of the foot over the sidelines. Like has been stated (I believe started by DolphinTom), kudos to that referee. When I see something like that, the relief of the feeling that "there is justice in this world, after all" so overshadows the joy of winning the game the game for me... it's hard to know what to say - you're just spent.
Just saw the highlights on ESPN, there were like 5 Steelers who were still moving at the snap. Play should have never even happened.
To be fair to all the talking heads, every single one does mention that Ben's toss was highly questionable at best.
http://www.nflshop.com/catalog/prod...ervice_KO_Pullover_Performance_Hoodie_-_Olive Out of stock though.
Actually, he was just doing his job, but I thank him too, for doing his job... Too bad, in general, the refs missed the illegal motion at the start of the play and the forward lateral, but it all worked out...
I haven't seen one mention of a potential forward lateral on ESPN at all today. Not a mention of players not being set.
Here's a debate for the lawyers: Is it possible to throw a ball backward if your arm is moving forward? What I mean here is that Ben's motion is of a forward pass
While we're viewing this as a rare call for our side, in just another last play anomaly, that dooms our Sunday almost routinely, I believe the Steeler Nation perspective is that this is their mail. That this insideous misfortune was addressed, postmarked, and delivered directly to a Mr. Mike Tomlin, C/O Kharmic payback.
NFL should do like they do in the NHL , have it centralized. Say NY ( or wherever ) and have the same people review and make calls , right now it is based on individuals that aren't constant , which of course can lead to differing views and rulings. All these should be done through one unified monitoring system and then have the same standards applied imo.
The NHL has a perfect set-up. All decisions are made in Toronto and takes the emotion of the stadium out of the equation. I thought I heard that the league may do something like this. Also too, I would like to see more camera angles that aren't necessarily for viewer consumption. Nobody watches NHL games via the net cam but it sure serves a purpose.
It's 2013. My iPad can pinpoint my location to within a couple of meters. My cell phone can give me spot directions via GPS on the fly. I'm shocked that we don't have some kind of tracking device embedded in the football for these and goal line situations. It can't be that hard to do, and it would put a lot of these questions to bed.
Question: .After Ben laterals and Brown is starting to take off down the sideline the mid-field ref extends his left arm and points to the Steelers side of the field, does this indicate that it was a legal backwards lateral in his estimation? Or,what exactly does that it mean? I DVR`D the game and watched that play numerous times and I`m curious as to what that signal indicates. The video is still posted on the official Dolphins website, at 19 seconds of the video is when this happens.
Just spoke to a high school football ref buddy of mine and he did say that when a ref motions in a particular direction during a lateral hes insinuating that it was a clean legal backwards lateral and if the ref thought it was a forward lateral he would obviously throw a flag. Dont know why I`m still going on about this but it was driving me nuts.
It looked like it was barely a forward lateral, but my big concern would have been that with no flag thrown on the lateral, it would have to have been definitively proven to be a forward lateral- too much wiggle room. Plus, i'm not sure what angles the refs woudl have been looking at. Bottom line is that i'm very happy that Brown stepped out of bounds and was called for it. That was nearly a total disaster, and my gut tells me that if the play was called a TD and went for review we could easily have been screwed on the call and lost the game.
I think a better interpretation of the rule would be to eliminate the possibility of judgement that a ball can travel exactly sideways, or exactly parallel to the goal line without a deviating angle. This seems just about impossible. The idea that a ball can travel sideways allows for too much wiggle room Now the ref doesn't just have think if the ball went forward, he can just determine if the ball went backward. By the standard of 'Did the ball travel backward?' in this particular play it's quite easy to say NO-illegal forward pass. It is a much simpler way of judging these plays
Exactly right. We were inches away from losing the ultimate heartbreaker and it concerns me that the refs blew two calls on the play. The forward lateral and movement on the O-line during the snap. How can not one ref notice at least two offensive players were not set before the snap is beyond me.
Had Brown scored and the play completely reviewed, the referee could make a ruling on the legality of Ben's lateral, but I presume even if he did see players not set before the snap while reviewing the play, that he couldn't do anything about that?
When under the hood though the referee wouldn't have the benefit of the orange line, or any similar aid would he?
That's the part that really pisses me off. If illegal motion is not reviewable theres a good chance we get screwed big time on that play. Especially if they claimed theres inconclusive evidence to overturn the lateral play.
Nope. Just straight video. They usually use hash marks to determine the legality of a lateral. I think it's more obvious while watching the play than just a screenshot. Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
And another thing. If this is the best camera angle that was reviewed I doubt the refs would have overturned it. Its not exactly a "straight on " view. It looks like the camera angle was a yard or so behind the play.
Does anyone have access to the all 22 view of the play? I would think that would show definitely whether it went forward.
@RapSheet: Head of officiating Dean Blandino on TA, talked about #Steelers final play: Ben lateral would’ve stood. Not definite it’s a forward pass Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
Of course it would have. But is there any doubt that if a QB drops back from center and throws that same pass, it's ruled a completion and goes to passing yardage rather than as a pitch/backward lateral and charged as rushing yardage? And if dropped, ruled an incompletion rather than a fumble? Of course there no doubt about that either. It was a forward lateral, it just wouldn't have been ruled as such, and we would have taken it in the yanker if not for the WR stepping out of bounds. We won, though.
Right, we did win. So can anyone explain to me why I`ve been watching that play over and over and over and over and over and over etc......on my DVR the last few days? My wife thinks I`m nuts, she keeps saying " they won whats the difference". Women
That's why I think they should have an either-or interpretation. While maybe you can't say for sure it's going forward, it certainly isn't going backward Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk