marty
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How do they 'sway' games ? Usually with holding calls, or personal fouls, and then favoring a team with PI calls and PI NON calls on the other side of the ball. IF you have the game DVRd, go back and watch in slow mo and I'm confident you'll see what I'm talking about (even if you watch with Green/Yellow tinted glasses).
On the Lions 1st drive, which was an impressive drive, the drive was killed with a holding penalty after Smith made a 17 yard run. Hold called on Burleson wasn't really much of a hold, didn't affect where Woodson was going, Woodson was holding onto Burleson at the time. It killed the Lions drive, and chance at early momentum. On the Packers ensuing drive, which the Lions forced a punt, check out the block in the back a Packer got away with on Stark's 8 yard run - no call.
The Lions next drive was also a good drive. After a first down conversion, they called hands to the face on a Detroit OL, he actually grazed the back of the helmet, and Walden was past him. It was NOT hands to the face. I guess if you're looking for something, you can probably find something every play, and if you're 'swaying' a game, you can call them as you please.
The Lions almost overcame that bogus penalty, and just in case the Lions converted on 3rd and 5 (they didn't, but the refs may have been thinking they probably would the way the Lions were moving the ball), a flag was thrown on Pettigrew for holding Matthews. The problem is, he didn't hold or force Matthews anywhere, Matthews moved HIM. And it could be argued that a holding call could have called on MATTHEWS, if it had been a run play, or if they were 'swaying' the game for the Lions. This took the Lions out of FG range, which does the job of killing any early momentum.
The Detroit defense then stopped the Packers on their offensive drive, so the refs had to do something again to kill early momentum by Detroit.
After the Lions converted 3 1st downs, a chop block was called on a Detroit RB, where the RB actually whiffed on the block. He did try to go low, and as I stated earlier, you can probably find something every play if you're looking to 'sway' a game. The attempted block down low was a gift, and the call killed another Detroit drive.
On the ensuing Packer drive, the Packers' center quickly lifted his head on a hard count and got 2 Detroit players to jump. The Packers did NOT convert on 2nd and 1, or 3rd and 1. On the 3rd and 1, the officials once again got involved and called PI on the player covering James Jones. There was no PI, Jones just stumbled on the play. Aikmann comments that he didn't see the PI, it was a bad call, and the other announcer called it a BIG call, giving the Pack a 1st down, and another chance.
On the same drive, a ref errored and called the Packers' FB Kuhn for a hold on a takedown. Another official corrected that on the next play (3rd and 14) by calling Suh for hands to the face, even though Sitton hit Suh in the face FIRST. Had the game been a 'sway' for Detroit, they would have called hands to the face on Sitton, and ignored the fact that Suh responded by doing the same thing. But even after that gift, the Packers didn't convert, passing incomplete on 3rd and 1.
The Lions then committed a turnover on their next offensive series. Packers have the ball, still no score in the game, and the Lions are called for PI in the endzone on the player covering Jennings. It was a touchy but legitimate penalty as the player was looking at the ball but ran into Jennings, giving the Pack 1st and goal at the 1. The only problem with that call, was the almost EXACT same thing happened in the end zone on the Lions next drive, Tramon Williams running into Calvin Johnson, except this time there was NO CALL.
On the Packers next drive, they picked up a big rushing the passer penalty on Detroit DT Vanden Bosch, and it was a totally bogus penalty. Vanden Bosch argued the call, and as Aikmann said, "IMO, it was within the framework of the rules", and not a good penalty. But it WAS a good penalty, if you're hoping to 'sway' the game for the Pack to cover 6  . But really, it was a lame call. The Packers didn't take advantage and score, but it gave them another chance, and that is all you can hope for when you're a ref that is 'swaying' a game.
With the Pack ahead 7-0 with 9:16 left in the 3rd quarter (wow, I almost forgot this had been a close game almost halfway thru the 3rd quarter), the Packers failed on 3rd and goal but got the ultimate gift from the Lions. The Lions best defensive player, Suh, is ejected for throwing a kick on a player that was down. That gives the Pack an automatic 1st down, and probable TD, and helps the 'sway' considerably by having the Lions' best defender out of the game.
Going back and watching the play, the penalty was very much legitimate. The Packer OL looked like he was doing a takedown of Suh (which could be called a holding penalty), but Suh is strong, and as he's going down used his strength to take down the Packer, allowing Suh to be on top. Suh was frustrated either that he didn't get by the guy, or that the guy tried to take him down. Suh attempted to kick the player that was down, and should have been kicked out of the game for doing so. I think he has a dirty coach that brings out the nastiness Suh.
So the game was a 'sway' for the Pack to cover 6, and the refs got the gift of Suh playing dirty midway thru the 3rd quarter. After that, the Lions fell apart, or the Pack took advantage, however you want to see it.
< Message edited by marty -- 11/25/2011 12:06:45 PM >
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