NFL fixes game so Falcons can win

[ATL96Steeler]

But the BOOTH called the play to be reviewed! Why penalize a team for a stoppage of play that they had no control over?

I understand that, but why are you rewarding a team with another play if they would not have been able to stop the clock themselves.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Lions fans- get a better team. Then you're not as likely to get screwed in close games by refs. K, thanks.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I thought they DID have one left, was I wrong?

If DET did have a TO, then I'm lost on why they were not able to use it.

 

[redseat]

I understand that, but why are you rewarding a team with another play if they would not have been able to stop the clock themselves.

True... but they would have ran another play if it wasn't called a TD on the field

 

[ATL96Steeler]

True... but they would have ran another play if it wasn't called a TD on the field

Well...I hearing now DET did have a TO remaining, so my thinking was not right....I need to do some digging on this one because it sounds like it's happened before where the 10 sec rule was applied in the past w/ a timeout in hand.

 

[dkmightyhammer]

Detroit probably got jobbed by not being given another play, but by rule it seems like the refs got it right. It's just a dumb rule.

So why didn't the Lions get the ball inside the 1-yard line with 8 or 9 seconds on the clock?

Let Jim Caldwell explain: "Since they ruled it a touchdown in that particular situation and ruled it incorrectly and the ball was indeed short, so he was ruled down. So what happens in that situation is that if you don’t have a timeout left, you’re going to get a 10-second runoff. If you have a timeout left, you can prevent that runoff at the end of the game and give up that timeout. But without any timeouts, they ran off the time on the clock, which was 8 seconds remaining, and game’s over."

Why didn't the Lions have any timeouts left at that time?

The Lions used all three of their second-half timeouts to stop the clock on the Falcons' previous drive. Atlanta began its final possession with 2:52 on the clock. The Lions used their first timeout after a 1-yard run by Devonta Freeman with 2:48 to play, their second after a short pass to Mo Sanu with 2:44 left, and their last after a pass to Julio Jones with 2:31 to play. They had to stop the clock on defense to conserve time for their offense.

FAQ: Explaining the Detroit Lions' final play vs. the Atlanta Falcons

 

[redseat]

Well...I hearing now DET did have a TO remaining, so my thinking was not right....I need to do some digging on this one because it sounds like it's happened before where the 10 sec rule was applied in the past w/ a timeout in hand.

wow they did get royally screwed then!

 

[DetroitDevil]

Either way, the rule is now clear to all teams... So I cant wait til it happens to another team... and it will.

 

[rmilia1]

I think they could have. But why did they do the run off again? I don't get that

Detroit didn't have a timeout

 

[DetroitDevil]

wow they did get royally screwed then!

they didnt have a time out. Games can end on Ref errors.

 

[rmilia1]

I am not too upset with the call, I can see why it was called a td initially, and I can see the over turning it. I don't think there was enough there to overturn, but I can see someone else disagreeing.

My issue is last year the Lions covered 27 yards and got a snap off in 7 seconds, but doing this in 8 is impossible?

Yeah but that was a spike play which is an automatic call. Wat different to call an actual play and then reoay it to everyone . Not saying it's impossible but it's real tough

 

[redseat]

ok, confirmed no t.o. thanks guys

 

[Sir Robin Of Camelot]

 

[rmilia1]

If DET did have a TO, then I'm lost on why they were not able to use it.

The telecast had them listed with a TO but they did not have one. They'd used all 3 on Atlantas possession

 

[jarntt]

But the BOOTH called the play to be reviewed! Why penalize a team for a stoppage of play that they had no control over?

The idea of the rule is actually to NOT penalize a team. The league's feeling is that you cannot call a play, lineup and get a play off within 10 seconds if you have no timeouts left. So if they stopped the clock for the review with no runoff and let Detroit get another play off it would have in fact penalized Atl. Maybe a 5 second runoff would be more fair? But, the rule also needs to account for a last minute 40 yard completion where the QB and lineman are still running down the field to get lined up. IMO, in this particular situation Detroit likely could have gotten another play off if it was blown dead, but the rule is a "catchall" that is enforced on more than just 1 yard completions. It's one of those situations where sooner or later someone will be screwed by the rule/no rule

 

[redseat]

The idea of the rule is actually to NOT penalize a team. The league's feeling is that you cannot call a play, lineup and get a play off within 10 seconds if you have no timeouts left. So if they stopped the clock for the review with no runoff and let Detroit get another play off it would have in fact penalized Atl. Maybe a 5 second runoff would be more fair? But, the rule also needs to account for a last minute 40 yard completion where the QB and lineman are still running down the field to get lined up. IMO, in this particular situation Detroit likely could have gotten another play off if it was blown dead, but the rule is a "catchall" that is enforced on more than just 1 yard completions. It's one of those situations where sooner or later someone will be screwed by the rule/no rule

Good explanation. Thank you!

 

[Eco]

wow they did get royally screwed then!

They didn't. They used all their TO on the Falcons previous drive.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Detroit probably got jobbed by not being given another play, but by rule it seems like the refs got it right. It's just a dumb rule.

So why didn't the Lions get the ball inside the 1-yard line with 8 or 9 seconds on the clock?

Let Jim Caldwell explain: "Since they ruled it a touchdown in that particular situation and ruled it incorrectly and the ball was indeed short, so he was ruled down. So what happens in that situation is that if you don’t have a timeout left, you’re going to get a 10-second runoff. If you have a timeout left, you can prevent that runoff at the end of the game and give up that timeout. But without any timeouts, they ran off the time on the clock, which was 8 seconds remaining, and game’s over."

Why didn't the Lions have any timeouts left at that time?

The Lions used all three of their second-half timeouts to stop the clock on the Falcons' previous drive. Atlanta began its final possession with 2:52 on the clock. The Lions used their first timeout after a 1-yard run by Devonta Freeman with 2:48 to play, their second after a short pass to Mo Sanu with 2:44 left, and their last after a pass to Julio Jones with 2:31 to play. They had to stop the clock on defense to conserve time for their offense.

FAQ: Explaining the Detroit Lions' final play vs. the Atlanta Falcons

Okay...now I'm back to what I thought originally. DET did not have another TO.

If they did not have another TO, the 10 sec rule makes sense in this situation...it still sucks because if it was ruled no TD...MAYBE DET can get back lined up to get one last play off, but they could not clock it.

 

[dkmightyhammer]

Okay...now I'm back to what I thought originally. DET did not have another TO.

If they did not have another TO, the 10 sec rule makes sense in this situation...it still sucks because if it was ruled no TD...MAYBE DET can get back lined up to get one last play off, but they could not clock it.

That was covered in that article too:

Would the Lions even have been able to get a play off with that little time on the clock?

Caldwell said, "Certainly. We practice it all the time." Stafford said he's not sure. But Falcons safety Keanu Neal said he believes the Lions would have got another play off. "Yeah, they'd be able to get a play off. I think so," Neal said.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The idea of the rule is actually to NOT penalize a team. The league's feeling is that you cannot call a play, lineup and get a play off within 10 seconds if you have no timeouts left. So if they stopped the clock for the review with no runoff and let Detroit get another play off it would have in fact penalized Atl. Maybe a 5 second runoff would be more fair? But, the rule also needs to account for a last minute 40 yard completion where the QB and lineman are still running down the field to get lined up. IMO, in this particular situation Detroit likely could have gotten another play off if it was blown dead, but the rule is a "catchall" that is enforced on more than just 1 yard completions. It's one of those situations where sooner or later someone will be screwed by the rule/no rule

IDK...I'm going to say maybe at best. If they restarted the clock immediately after blowing it dead, it would have been a helter skelter play imo...but if the players were already up and ready go...lining up and getting off a play in 8 seconds or whatever can be done no question.