OT: Officiating for the Lions game
It took me a little while yesterday to calm down, after the Lions loss. To be fair, I'm usually in a bad mood after a loss, but this one seemed to stay with me for a little while. Perhaps it was the result of the loss, which is a date next weekend with the Saints. Or perhaps it was the fact that we gave up 6TD's to a backup QB, making his 2nd career start. Those were all good reasons to be upset, but as much as I hate to admit it, because I hate blaming this aspect of the game, but I couldn't get over the way the game was officiated. One thought kept going through my mind; it's a rare game, when the NFL owes your team an apology for more than 1 call. In my mind, and I think in the minds of any fair minded football fan, there were three calls that were absolutely butchered. The Scheffler fumble (that granted, was overturned, but still cost us a valuable challenge), the Logan fumble, and the Titus Young Touchdown catch.
I understand that the Logan fumble was a judgement call, but how the ref made that judgement, is beyond me. I'm still waiting for the replay, that shows Logan fumbled that ball. Besides getting up, then proceeding to hand the ball to the ref, I'm not sure how much more down he could have been. The Titus Young call was probably the worst direct judgement call I've seen in foootball in a long time. The ref was in great position to make that call, and he missed the hell out of it.
I'm not here to defend the Lions defense, it was attrocious, so much so, I'm not sure how much better Aaron Rodgers would have played over Flynn. Had we made a couple stops here and there, the sting would've been lessened over these calls. But never in my life, have I seen three calls get so badly butchered against one team, in a single game. Like I said earlier, it's a rare game where the NFL owes your team an apology for more than one call in a game.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:57 AM ^
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
The rule is cut and dry on the snow angel. You cannot take the celebration to the ground. Can't get more on the ground than Grant was.
The PI was pretty weak, but I'm certain they missed several more CJ deserved, so, whatevs.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
Tebowing?
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
Tramon grabbed his arm, and didn't let go, that's pass interference, not a thing wrong with that call. The call on Grant was stupid, 15 yards hardly effected the game, even though he did deserve it. The Refs have been consistent with that excessive celebration call all year. The calls you just mentioned are pathetic, and a feeble attempt to try to justify 4-5 horrible calls against the Lions. By the way, there was more pass interference on the last play of the game, than what Tramon Williams got called for on Calvin.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^
False. Tramon had great position and it shouldve been a no-call.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^
You can have great position and still grab his arm.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^
pale in comparison to direct bad calls that influenced scores. You are complaining about after the play nonsense - other than the debatable PI - while Lions fans are complaining about actual in-game errors by the officials.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^
You need to re-read the end of my post. Quit blaming the refs and be accountable. Errors happen (there was one in the kc/gb game where a fullback fumbled the ball in front of the pylon), maybe one day they'll become a good enough team to overcome that kind of adversity.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
it doesn't matter to me.
If something unfair happens in the day and age of review, it is perfectly acceptable to complain about why it wasn't reviewed, why the review failed or why certain calls aren't reviewable.
I suggest you join the real world where people will always talk about such calls and accept it as part of being a football fan.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:37 PM ^
To quote Schwartz himself after calvin not completing the process. "the day I start blaming officials for losses is the day I need to not be doing this (coaching) any more"
January 2nd, 2012 at 4:37 PM ^
we are fans.
He is a coach.
It makes little sense for a coach to use officiating as an excuse, as it leaves no room for the self-improvement of the team.
As for fans, we are outside observers with no influence over the mentality of team going into next week's practices and thus can complain about such things as poor calls in an important game.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^
Errors happen but 3 (!) game-changing calls against one team in a game in inexcusable for an NFL officiating crew.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:01 PM ^
I'll admit the taunting flag on Grant was BS but you are talking about a flag here and there and not game changers like missed TD calls and fumbles that really could have altered the outcome of the game. Jim Schwartz had every right to be livid about the officiating in the game yesterday because you don't see 3 game-changing blown calls go against one team very often.
January 2nd, 2012 at 6:08 PM ^
That pass interference in preventing a receiver to come back for the ball and not touching it themselves is going to be called just about every time.
I don't know that I agree with it, but I have seen it called the same way in both the pro's and college ball both.
I would admit there were some things the refs missed against Detroit, but TWO TURNOVERS AND A TOUCHDOWN.
That is NOT equivalent to a personal fowl.
Detroit got hosed by the refs, and yes, the REFS COST THE LIONS THE GAME via taking a touchdown away that detroit scored and giving the ball to Green Bay twice. The spread of the score was less than a touchdown. I really don't know how you can argue that. You can always say "Mistakes happen, you just have to play through them." but when the refs keep points off the board, that rings a little hollow, no matter which way you're going.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^
I won't complain about missed calls because they did not deserve to win that game.
The person who says Flynn is better than Stafford is an idiot. Stafford threw for 500 yards on this allegedly Super Bowl contending team without a running game.Conversely, no one expects the Lions to contend for a Super Bowl title this year. Green Bay is a one-dimensional team that has to hope that an ancient Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews will make enough of a difference defensively to win them another Super Bowl.
It says something about the weakness of the NFL that teams with such horrid defenses like Green Bay, New England, and New Orleans are considered prohibitive favorites to win it all. Where have ye gone, O' Defense?
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^
I thought it would be more obvious that it was a joke when I said Flynn was better than Stafford but apparently not. The reason the defenses are so bad is because the league has engineered it as such. There has not been a rule change to help the defense in quite sometime, if ever. Yards and points keep going through the roof as a result. Right now the best defense is an offense that can score a ton of points.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
It does seem that the more calls that go against you, the more calls will go against you. Once the Lions got a reputation this year it seemed that most grey area judgement calls automatically went against us, like we lost the benefit of the doubt for an entire season or something.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:11 PM ^
Somewhere Sunday, Jahvid Best was sitting on a couch saying
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:19 PM ^
nothing to see here.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
It doesn't seem like the league likes Detroit very much, and the penitentiary levels of personal fouls don't help. But look at it this way, it wasn't long ago that the Lions went 0-16 and now they're in the playoffs. They're also a team likely to get better before they get worse.
The D was terrible yesterday, but chances are that Rogers wouldn't have done much better and that means it was a shoot out with one of the best teams in the league. The Lions hung in until the end.
Also, we should keep in mind that Green Bay is in Wisconsin. When you live in the Ohio of the North, the Packers are all you have. So expect them to come to this thread to talk smack and be kind to them; imagine if you had to open your passport and see Wisconsin as your place of birth. However, if they're a UP Packer fan, let loose. Traitors every one.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:29 PM ^
Actually, uf you've ever been to a game in Lambeau. Us cheeseheads are actually pretty hospitable unless you root for that purple team. If you want to compare a pro teams fans to Ohio, look no further than Chicago. Unfortunately, all the complaining about the referrees and the "broken" system of rules makes Lions fans come off somewhat Spartyish today.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
If Michigan were in the Lions shoes yesterday, I'm sure you would be totally fine with the calls.
*insert disclaimer about how poorly the Lions defense played yesterday*.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:48 PM ^
But I still think Flynn and Stafford deserve Hoke epic double points
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^
Not a real good game heading into the playoffs but you're in! Thats something to be excited about it! Not a big Lions fan but I hope they play the spoilers this week!
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:42 PM ^
One of the worst officiated games I have ever seen. Still should have won though.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
Even people in Wisconsin were saying the refs were awful yesterday
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
Even the Sun Belt Conference thought that was a poorly officiated game.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
its funny how i see on facebook that matt flynn is the 2nd best qb in the nfc north
I hate the packers with a passion, and I live in Milwaukee, those fans are obnoxious, and most are very dumb about the x's and o's of the game,
Packers fans are Badgers fans are Brewers fans are bucks fans, i hate them all !
living in wisconsin and suffering thru this straight up sucks
Rodgers is a good qb, but i give that system and all the talent he has at wr and te more props then him, you put rodgers on the vikings- hs an above average qb, you put flynn on the vikings, he is matt cassel 2.0
the lions will get leshoure back next season, hopefully he can make a difference along with best and smith.
upgradeing the secondary will be huge as well as replacing backus.
for some reason, the lions just never seem to make corner a real high priority
Gotta resign avril and tulloch and get calvin signd long term to lower that 17 million dollar cap hit and get him extended also.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:37 PM ^
"Packers fans are Badgers fans." Never been the to UP, huh?
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^
i'm saying in general to the wisconsin population they are
as for the U.P.--Iron Mountain - Becco's Italian Sausages are the bomb
i hate packers fans
January 2nd, 2012 at 2:10 PM ^
Officiating in the NFL gets worse every year. They say they're trying to make it less subjective, but I feel the calls are becoming more subjective.
It's not the reason why the Lions lost, but I've seen the Lions get screwed on calls quite a bit the last 5-6 years (that I've been really paying attention). Part of it is that the better teams get more breaks (like every sport). I'm actually more upset about some of the fines that Lions players have receiverd.
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:13 PM ^
Flynn had a good game and the Lions defense played awful however the facts are that if their are three challengable situations/calls all on one team in one half, something is wrong with the officiating
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
ever in Milwaukee stop in at BBC's on North Avenue
its the Lions bar in Milwaukee