Offensive PI calls, Gronk, and collective head shaking.

[Broncos6482]

Another way to look at it, is Gronk is just so much bigger it looks worse than it actually is. It was an extremely ticky tack call.

When you extend your arm like he did, it's going to be called more often than not. It's not the egregiously bad call Patriots fans are making it out to be.

 

[cdumler7]

Another way to look at it, is Gronk is just so much bigger it looks worse than it actually is. It was an extremely ticky tack call.

I have said that a little shove by Gronk can easily knock a defender back. He has to realize that though and adjust accordingly otherwise you can expect these OPI calls to continue because if they are like the one in the Broncos game then by the letter of the rule he will get called on that. Players have to learn to adjust. Just like if you know you are going against Russell Wilson he is a shorter QB so as a defender you have to remember to tackle just a bit lower as to not get a helmet to helmet type play. Or that with a player like Osweiler you have to go a little bit higher to not get the hitting below the knees penalty. All players have to adjust. Can't just give Gronk an exception to the rule because he is so much stronger than everybody else.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

The argument can be made that they in fact are, just by the jump in frequency.

I emphatically disagree.

 

[NEPatsfan]

When you extend your arm like he did, it's going to be called more often than not. It's not the egregiously bad call Patriots fans are making it out to be.

This season it is yes, previous years, no.

 

[NEPatsfan]

I emphatically disagree.

And you would be wrong.

Gronk has been dominating opposing players.

Coachs have complained, which is actually part of their job.

League tells officials to emphasize it.

Officials watch closer than they normally would.

Gronk gets 6 calls, some ticky tack, in 11 games, while only having 1 or so the last 3 years.

 

[dkmightyhammer]

I have said that a little shove by Gronk can easily knock a defender back. He has to realize that though and adjust accordingly otherwise you can expect these OPI calls to continue because if they are like the one in the Broncos game then by the letter of the rule he will get called on that. Players have to learn to adjust. Just like if you know you are going against Russell Wilson he is a shorter QB so as a defender you have to remember to tackle just a bit lower as to not get a helmet to helmet type play. Or that with a player like Osweiler you have to go a little bit higher to not get the hitting below the knees penalty. All players have to adjust. Can't just give Gronk an exception to the rule because he is so much stronger than everybody else.

Just leave Russell out of this. Stop suggesting players hit him anywhere. LEAVE RUSSELL ALONE!!!

 

[PatsFan2003]

In the NFL rule book it never once says that a player has to extend his arm to get OPI. All it says is OPI is called when an offensive player intentionally gets in the way of a defender to interrupt their coverage or when an offensive receiver shoves the defender away from him prior to making a play on the ball. Did Gronk shove the Broncos player? That is the only question needing answered not whether he extended his arm all the way.

It was the defender who initiated the contact. Which is legal but I don't think the idea is that the offensive player can't respond in any physical way.

 

[PatsFan2003]

And you would be wrong.

Gronk has been dominating opposing players.

Coachs have complained, which is actually part of their job.

League tells officials to emphasize it.

Officials watch closer than they normally would.

Gronk gets 6 calls, some ticky tack, in 11 games, while only having 1 or so the last 3 years.

This...

 

[Money]

Another way to look at it, is Gronk is just so much bigger it looks worse than it actually is. It was an extremely ticky tack call.

So what? QBs like Flacco and Roethlisberger hardly draw any roughing the QB calls because they are bigger and it doesn't look as bad as when Marsha gets hit. Of course, the fact that they don't whine to the refs doesn't help their cause either.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

And you would be wrong.

Gronk has been dominating opposing players.

Coachs have complained, which is actually part of their job.

League tells officials to emphasize it.

Officials watch closer than they normally would.

Gronk gets 6 calls, some ticky tack, in 11 games, while only having 1 or so the last 3 years.

You could go down every penalty, find the league leader in that penalty, and make the same case.

 

[dkmightyhammer]

It was the defender who initiated the contact. Which is legal but I don't think the idea is that the offensive player can't respond in any physical way.

Some officiating crews will call it and some won't. Whenever Gronk gets physical with a defender he risks a penalty just as the defender does when he's physical with Gronk. It's in the eye of the official whether it's flagged or not. Gronk got called on that play Sunday night, but how many other times this year did he make a similar move that wasn't called where the defender was the one left complaining about no flag?

That is part of the frustration this year. The officiating crews are all different and they all see things differently so teams don't know what the hell they can or can't do. They should stop having "teams" of refs and just send individual officials to various games so they all work with different people. I think penalties would even out a lot more that way.

 

[NEPatsfan]

Some officiating crews will call it and some won't. Whenever Gronk gets physical with a defender he risks a penalty just as the defender does when he's physical with Gronk. It's in the eye of the official whether it's flagged or not. Gronk got called on that play Sunday night, but how many other times this year did he make a similar move that wasn't called where the defender was the one left complaining about no flag?

That is part of the frustration this year. The officiating crews are all different and they all see things differently so teams don't know what the hell they can or can't do. They should stop having "teams" of refs and just send individual officials to various games so they all work with different people. I think penalties would even out a lot more that way.

Won't work because they function as a team.

 

[Money]

Let's be very clear, only the 2nd play shown is even questionable. All the other ones are clearly OPI.

Film review: Is Rob Gronkowski being targeted unfairly for offensive pass interference?

 

[flyerhawk]

Let's be very clear, only the 2nd play shown is even questionable. All the other ones are clearly OPI.

Film review: Is Rob Gronkowski being targeted unfairly for offensive pass interference?

Wow was that writer a homer. Using the order of the penalties listed in the article.

1. Questionable. Personally I don't see it.
2. Without question. You extend your arm out of the break and you get called for it. It's that simple. It doesn't matter if it didn't achieve what you intended.
3. Clear OPI. The receiver is generally given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to arm fighting but you CANNOT extend your arms forward to knock back the defender and then make your break. That will get you a flag 100% of the time
4. Again clear cut. Probably the most egregious
5. Can't see what he did on the play but it sure looks like he extended his arm out. Again, whether you like the rule or not that is the rule. It doesn't matter if he actually knocks the player over.
6. The writer is straight up on drugs here. That was a blatant OPI. In fact I suspect that the play was SUPPOSED to be a screen in which case Gronk would have been fine but because the ball cross the LOS in the air, it was a text book pick play.

 

[sonnyblack65]

Wow was that writer a homer. Using the order of the penalties listed in the article.

1. Questionable. Personally I don't see it.
2. Without question. You extend your arm out of the break and you get called for it. It's that simple. It doesn't matter if it didn't achieve what you intended.
3. Clear OPI. The receiver is generally given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to arm fighting but you CANNOT extend your arms forward to knock back the defender and then make your break. That will get you a flag 100% of the time
4. Again clear cut. Probably the most egregious
5. Can't see what he did on the play but it sure looks like he extended his arm out. Again, whether you like the rule or not that is the rule. It doesn't matter if he actually knocks the player over.
6. The writer is straight up on drugs here. That was a blatant OPI. In fact I suspect that the play was SUPPOSED to be a screen in which case Gronk would have been fine but because the ball cross the LOS in the air, it was a text book pick play.

I agree about the first one, how that was called ?. But like I said earlier, it is what it is

 

[Broncos6482]

Wow was that writer a homer. Using the order of the penalties listed in the article.

1. Questionable. Personally I don't see it.
2. Without question. You extend your arm out of the break and you get called for it. It's that simple. It doesn't matter if it didn't achieve what you intended.
3. Clear OPI. The receiver is generally given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to arm fighting but you CANNOT extend your arms forward to knock back the defender and then make your break. That will get you a flag 100% of the time
4. Again clear cut. Probably the most egregious
5. Can't see what he did on the play but it sure looks like he extended his arm out. Again, whether you like the rule or not that is the rule. It doesn't matter if he actually knocks the player over.
6. The writer is straight up on drugs here. That was a blatant OPI. In fact I suspect that the play was SUPPOSED to be a screen in which case Gronk would have been fine but because the ball cross the LOS in the air, it was a text book pick play.

I agree with your assessment. Number 5 is really the only one I'm unsure of, and that's just because the angle makes it impossible to see what he's doing. Number 1 shouldn't have been called IMO, the other 4 all look like good calls to me.