The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

I ultimately think that the play WAS a fumble, however, it was within 2 minutes, and it was definitely close enough to take another look.

I'd understand it if it were the type of play where the other team did a hurry-up type thing, but on a change of possession, there's more time to decide that it should go under review.

Why wasn't this done, I wonder...

They supposedly did.

Al Michaels claimed that the review booth confirmed that it was a fumble.

I don't know what the booth was looking at, but it looked like a forward pass to me.

I thought it was a fumble.

To get the game over with. See: Crap-ass calls against Arizona.  ::)  Granted, Arizona controlled their own destiny in the end... no excuses, but:

(http://www.steelers12thman.com/steeler7lp.jpg)

It's ok Cardinals fans, Seahawks fans know how you feel.  ;)
Go Stealers!!   ;D


Me too. If Brady's fumble in '01 was "incomplete", then...

Looked like a forward pass to me too.  Also, that roughing the passer call on Karlos Dansby was a shitty call as well. 

The Steeler player did make contact with the ball, but I don't believe Warner lost posession of the ball until his hand was moving forward which would make it incomplete. Michaels said they reviewed it, but I think they looked at it too quickly. I think with in depth studying the call would have been overturned.

If you guys want to talk about bad calls you also need to lump in the holding in the end zone.  Neither player held the other, the defensive tackle knocked over the offensive linemen and fell over.  That wasn't holding, it should have been 1st and 10 from the 18 and not a safety.

His arm was wrapped around his neck and he was standing to the side of him. He was going to get called for holding every single time on that play.

Lots of sour grapes for breakfast this morning?

The roughing the holder call was bs as Wilson was clearly off balance and could not stop himself from falling.
While the roughing the passer was legit, I was shocked they missed the blatant block in the back the allowed Ben to complete the pass before he was hit on that play. The OL facemask was in the DL back there was no way that was a clean block.
Harrison should have been ejected for that unneccesary roughness penalty.

  I thought that was one of the most obvious & easiest holding calls in SB history.

Everyone has their own opinions on penalties and what should be called and what should not be called one.  All in all, I thought the crew did a good job.

While this was a close and fun SB to watch I have to agree the crew did a good job for the most part. I thought the level of play was very sloppy though. The number and types of penalties these teams committed are not what you typically see from a championship team.

Watch it again.  The defender and o-liner fell backwards due to the defenders forward motion.

No disrespect here, but I hope you have went back & watched it again.  I just did.  It was worse than I originally thought.

The Cards DT was being blocked by the center.  He was blowing up the center & the center fell & pulled him down with what appears to be both hands.  His left wrapped around the guys neck & holding his shoulder pad, his right on the guys side..

Sorry, but it was holding.

^  I agree it was holding and I was pulling for the Steelers.

I agree that the holding in the endzone was blatant.  He grabbed the guy's jersey and fell over.  Done and done.

I thought that was a take down, Maine.  Grab a guy by the shirt and fall, taking him with you.  To me, that was holding.

Some say there is holding on every play, it just depends on if you get caught doing it.

Regarding the fumble-that-wasn't-reviewed... I think "fumble" was probably the right call with the "empty hand" argument. If the QB loses control of the football BEFORE the ball moves forward, he needs to regain control or a fumble will be called - even it the quarterbacks "shot puts" it forward.

That said, I think it was a terrible decision not to review it. And it WASN'T reviewed. The replay booth guys looked at it, sure, but apparently decided it wasn't worth taking to the refs and delaying the end of the game. Horrible decision.

Agree that it was a horrible decision, but disagree that it was a fumble.  It seemed pretty clear to me that the ball was still in his control, although maybe not in throwing position, as it went forward.  Bad call.

Did they confirm it after the game was over?  The refs didn't leave the field and go to the little tent thing.

I'm not sure what there is to confirm. The replay booth is tasked with looking at EVERY SINGLE PLAY inside 2 minutes. If they deem it necessary, they will initiate a booth review. The referees on the field then look at it and come up with a verdict.

Unless the replay people were SLEEPING, they de facto confirmed the fumble. I'm going to assume they were not, in fact, sleeping and so, yeah, they obviously didn't feel there was even a remote chance the play would be overturned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS2cQnytZ90 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS2cQnytZ90)

You be the judge...I disagree with this video's assessment, but it has the best view I've see so far on whether it was a fumble or not.

Had to be the fastest replay review ever.

Well I thought it was a fumble....The nose of ball starts parallel to the playing field,then gets turned perpendicular to the playing field while his arm is going forward.....It's like running back ,is it coming loose before his knee hits the ground..if it is..it's fumble...

The football moved before his arm went forward.....

my two cents....

(http://www.steelers12thman.com/steeler7lp.jpg)

Thats funny.  ;D

  Lets me put it this way.  Had they called it a pass I could not argue against it.   Just as they called it a fumble & I cannot argue against that. 

Personally I thought it was a fumble because the ball came out prior to the arm moving forward.

Also, there were 5 secs left & they were on the 44.  So its not like they had a high likely hood of scoring.

^ true

I don't think Warner could chuck it all the way to the endzone from there.  One of those wacky lateral laced plays may have scored but the chances would be very small.

Warner can throw the ball 44 yards with ease I bet.

44 yards is not far by any NFL QB standards.  If you want to see elite start looking over 65 -70.

Ok but how often does a Hail Mary (the play not the prayer) actually work?

It doesn't work oftern but with one of the best receivers at making acrobatic catches lining up on the field I really would have like to have seen an attempt.

As Dphins4me said, the call could gone either way.  We could debate this forever because everyone sees things differently.  If I knew all I would hear was whining and complaining, I would have supported the Cardinals because this is worse. :p  All of St Louis was supposed to be cheering for them but I guess I did not get the memo.  I do feel bad for Warner though.  He is a class guy.  At least he has his one ring.

That is all.

'Cause you hold grudges?   ;D ;)

Exactly! ;D

I don't see how the ball came out prior to the fumble.  It moved in his hand but was still in his hand when it went forward.  The video shows it very clearly, his fingers got compressed on the ball, causing it to rotate in his hand, but the last two fingers and thumb were still clearly in control of the ball.

Incomplete pass.  Terrible non-review.

I thought it looked like the ball was knocked out of his grasp then as his hand came forward the ball kind of fell against his hand as it continued forward in his throwing motion.The call could've gone either way,but was called fumble on the field,therefore there had to be indisputable evidence that Warner had the ball in his grasp and that his arm was going forward.I was rooting for Arizona but,regardless of the terrible officiating,I fell that the Cards failed to stop Pittsburgh and the Steelers deserved to win.That game winning catch was lights out,wow!

From what I've read, if the play had been called an incomplete pass, then the Cardinals would have had the ball 1st and ten at the 29 yard line because one of Pittsburgh's players removed his helmet while on the field.  He was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  Warner could have easily reached the end zone from the 29.

For what it's worth, I thought it was an incomplete pass. 

Just to play devil's advocate, if the ruling was an incomplete pass, I doubt the guy who took of his helmet in celebration would have done that.

Probably not but if the call got overturned the penalty sticks, right?

  If its called incomplete then the player is not celebrating the win & does not take his helmet off.

As I posted earlier.  Obviously it could have been called either way since we have such a wide variety of opinions, so really can anyone argue either way.

I think he means after a review in which case the penalty had already happend like NADS said.

The penalty is what it is, regardless of the result of the play.  Recall the play in CLE vs. KC a few years back... the player "thought" the game was over because he saw 0:00 (and ostensibly would not have taken off his helmet if he knew the play was still live), but the play had not ended.  That does not excuse the penalty.

If what you are claiming were true, Harrison could have turned around and lit into Warner after the play had ended.  I mean, since he thought the game was over and the penalty wouldn't make a difference (PIT would still keep the ball and kneel it out), it's OK, right?

Personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties don't work like that.

  That would be true, if the play was reversed under review.

I was reading S.I. today.  They think the call was correct but it should have been reviewed just to make sure

Good call.  Anyone remember who the LB was that jacked it up?
 

Exactly.  I recall the Dolphins-Niners game earlier this year.  With just seconds left to play, and the Niners facing fourth down, Joey Porter busts around the end and sacks Shaun Hill.  He then proceeds to rip his helmet off and run to the sidelines in jubilation.  He was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but the Dolphins kept the ball because it happened after the play was over.