Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank on Super Bowl 53, missed call in Saints-Rams game (1 Viewer)

[keefresh2]

As usual, Blank is Blinded by the Light.

 

[lonestarcajun]

So, the "they still had plenty of chances to win" narrative is flawed for a few reasons.

Where we had things we could have done better earlier... FG instead of TD in those first couple scores, the bad pass on 1st down after the Ginn catch, etc. The Saints never trailed in that game until the final kick in OT -- and OT wouldn't have happened had that PI penalty been enforced.

In addition, you can't discount the mindset of the Saints players that would have shifted with the disbelief that no flag was thrown. Football is a game of momentum and shifts of that momentum. When they see that hit, I'd expect that the initial gut reaction of the Saints bench was the same as mine - "we just won the game". And that gets immediately ripped away as the official inexplicably just signals incomplete, and how the officials don't even huddle up and drop a flag after discussion. The Rams bench had to have had just the opposite, where they went from "we just lost the game" to, "wait, we still have a shot".

Now, OK... we got stunned and didn't stop the Rams from getting the tying FG in regulation. Then we won the toss and we're trying to drive down the field only to get picked off... on a play where Drew was hit in about the same way that earned a "roughing the passer" a week earlier for Davenport. And to have a moving defender to run into the intended target of that fluttering pass, that was not tipped, only to have no PI called there either.

Not to mention that none of that even matters if the flagrant PI call is made because there's not enough time on the clock to do anything. And, with the ball inside the 5 if the call were made... if we didn't milk the clock down to almost nothing before kicking a FG, it's likely because we got into the end zone meaning the Rams now need 7 to tie instead of 3.

 

[la. champ1]

Everybody saying "we still had chances to win" still fail to realize that our main chance was taken away from us. Therefore we weren't awarded every chance. Furthermore, the lambs were given a chance by the refs

Should not have to win the game twice.

 

[la. champ1]

It literally happened to the Falcons in 2012. Roddy White was mugged on a game winning drive that would have sent the Falcons to the Super Bowl instead of San Francisco. . https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/1/20/3897876/falcons-vs-49ers-nfc-championship-game
Do you recall how the Raiders were screwed when Tom Brady was sacked fumbles the ball and they refs created a new rule calling it the tuck rule to over turn it. The Saints were screwed, the pass interference was obvious and should have been called, but it was not the first time it's happened and it won't be the last.

I don’t disagree at all about the tuck rule or the other call concerning White. Not a fan of the “they had other chances to win” theory, when you have a game basically in hand, you should have to win the same game twice because someone majorly screwed up on a call.

 

[lonestarcajun]

I posted a thread expressing my sympathy for what happened last Sunday. It was not acceptable. But it happened to us Falcons in the final minutes of the 4th quarter in SB 51.

“An enormous holding penalty was called against the Atlanta Falcons on second down, pushing them out of field goal range on a crucial drive late in the fourth quarter. However, there was a clear face mask made on the same play as Mohamed Sanu was tackled out of bounds that wasn’t called.

If it had been called, it would have been offsetting penalties and the Falcons would have had another chance at a long second down. Instead, they faced a third-and-33 that led to an incompletion and had to punt on the next play. Atlanta had to punt the ball away, giving the ball back to the Patriots with a chance to drive for a game-tying score.

The officials miss penalties in every game, and they’ve missed calls against both teams in this game. This was a huge one that hurt Atlanta, though.”

Not the same at all. If you watch the video you posted, the holding call is pretty blatant. The face mask I see two things wrong with it. First, they both are holding each other's face mask and the Patriots player actually has his helmet ripped off because of it. Secondly as Sanu is being tackled and you can see the hand on the face mask, his head isn't whipped around by that face mask making it easy to miss depending on the angle of the ref. So, the face mask is really offsetting in and of itself, with the Patriot player actually taking more of it as his head is turned and the helmet is ripped off. I actually see where they could have missed the Sanu face mask and called two penalties on Atlanta.

Also, not the same. Your offsetting penalty, had it fell that way - which from what I'm seeing it wouldn't - does not set you up inside the 5 with the ability to run the clock down and leave your opponent with no chance to tie it.

The final problem with it not being the same... Atlanta was up 28-3 where the Saints largest lead was 13 points. It was a much closer game and therefore the margin of error on a big blown call was even more magnified. I'll give the Rams credit, they hung in there and never let the game get more than two scores away. The Patriots on the other hand were down for the count and came back from a 4 score lead. The Saints weren't in free fall looking for an out, they held LA off the entire game and were going for the dagger.

 

[Zztop]

Of course he is towing company line, he just got a cushy new stadium and probably doesn't want to say anything against the NfL and risk not being considered for another superbowl.

 

[Playmaker0017]

Not the same at all. If you watch the video you posted, the holding call is pretty blatant. The face mask I see two things wrong with it. First, they both are holding each other's face mask and the Patriots player actually has his helmet ripped off because of it. Secondly as Sanu is being tackled and you can see the hand on the face mask, his head isn't whipped around by that face mask making it easy to miss depending on the angle of the ref. So, the face mask is really offsetting in and of itself, with the Patriot player actually taking more of it as his head is turned and the helmet is ripped off. I actually see where they could have missed the Sanu face mask and called two penalties on Atlanta.

Also, not the same. Your offsetting penalty, had it fell that way - which from what I'm seeing it wouldn't - does not set you up inside the 5 with the ability to run the clock down and leave your opponent with no chance to tie it.

The final problem with it not being the same... Atlanta was up 28-3 where the Saints largest lead was 13 points. It was a much closer game and therefore the margin of error on a big blown call was even more magnified. I'll give the Rams credit, they hung in there and never let the game get more than two scores away. The Patriots on the other hand were down for the count and came back from a 4 score lead. The Saints weren't in free fall looking for an out, they held LA off the entire game and were going for the dagger.

You were asking about letter of the law missed calls that impact the final score late in the game. Sanu was literally dragged down head first by the facemask. It’s offsetting penalties and replay second down from NE 32 yard line, 3:00 left in game. A fg ends it. Actually pretty similar

 

[lonestarcajun]

You were asking about letter of the law missed calls that impact the final score late in the game. Sanu was literally dragged down head first by the facemask. It’s offsetting penalties and replay second down from NE 32 yard line, 3:00 left in game. A fg ends it. Actually pretty similar

And Sanu literally ripped off the Pats helmet in an offsetting face mask also not called right? You have no point.

 

[lonestarcajun]

You were asking about letter of the law missed calls that impact the final score late in the game. Sanu was literally dragged down head first by the facemask. It’s offsetting penalties and replay second down from NE 32 yard line, 3:00 left in game. A fg ends it. Actually pretty similar

And... under two minutes inside the 5 with the Rams having one time out is different than 3 minutes left in the game on the 32. Even if it's offsetting you can't run out the clock and keep the Pats from getting the ball.

 

[Playmaker0017]

And... under two minutes inside the 5 with the Rams having one time out is different than 3 minutes left in the game on the 32. Even if it's offsetting you can't run out the clock and keep the Pats from getting the ball.

You can with a first down. At least use up clock and force NE to use TO’s.

Regardless, I’m not saying NO wasn’t done a disservice on a BIG stage. They were. On a slightly smaller level but bigger stage, Atlanta also fell victim to a swallowed whistle

 

[Playmaker0017]

And Sanu literally ripped off the Pats helmet in an offsetting face mask also not called right? You have no point.

Here is the rule. Sanu was allowed to do what he did as a ball carrier:

“Any player possessing the football – a runner or receiver after a catch – may use an open hand to ward off a defender trying to make a tackle. The feeling is that a runner is limited in his ability to ward off defenders because his other hand is securing the football.
He may not grab or twist the face mask of the defender, but he may use the open hand against the helmet or face mask.

 

[lonestarcajun]

You can with a first down. At least use up clock and force NE to use TO’s.

Regardless, I’m not saying NO wasn’t done a disservice on a BIG stage. They were. On a slightly smaller level but bigger stage, Atlanta also fell victim to a swallowed whistle

First, I went look up the play by play and it was 3:50 left in the game when that penalty occurred almost a minute more than you were saying, the ball was on the 35, not the 32 and it was 3rd & 23. New England had taken 1 time out at that point. Ryan had also just been sacked the play before and that blatant hold by Matthews was to prevent it happening again. So, not quite the game winning scenario you tried to paint.

So... with that... you're still missing the point. You're saying how they missed a face mask on Sanu where on the exact same play he is holding the defender's face mask and rips the helmet off. If anything they missed a call against BOTH players. So again, not the same. You're completely ignoring the video that you posted... Sanu is also committing a foul, yet you say they should have only flagged only the Pats for it. You also completely ignore that the face mask penalties (plural) are no where near as flagrant and therefore more easily missed based on the angle of the officials. In the playoff environment (um Super Bowl environment) that "they're going to let them play" means that even if they DID see it, they saw both players had the other's face mask, so they'll let it go. Especially if there's a pretty blatant hold -- which your video shows. Sanu is every bit as guilty of a face mask as is Ryan.

Then, with the updated 3:50 left in the game you can't run out the clock to the point where NE never touches the ball again anyway, and they probably aren't worried about using up their timeouts since it would still be, ya know, 3rd & 23.

The other thing you completely ignore is if the ball is on the 35 and penalties offset, you are now trying to kick a 52 yard FG to get the first Atlanta score since 8:31 to go in the 3rd quarter. That's not a gimme chip shot like a 21-22 yard FG had the Saints not moved the ball again.

Even after NE scored the TD to compete the comeback from 28-3, Atlanta got the ball back with 57 seconds to get into FG range and ice the game. So... you even had the ball again in regulation, with a chance to win with a FG and still couldn't. That alone shows that it is not the same!

Not only was the PI penalty horrendously missed, it was a foul by only one team, it was a dealer's choice of which foul to call with more than one there and had either been called (and they chose none), the Saints can close out the game without the Rams even having a shot to see the ball again. It was literally a game changing penalty. What you describe is, at best, offsetting that goes your way that makes it easier to win the game, but does not make it an almost certainty. In the case of the "bang (wait for it) bang" play from Sunday, if they actually make the call it's a 98% chance of a win - which IS a virtual lock to go to the Super Bowl.

Quit trying to say "it happened to Atlanta also". No, it didn't. It was not a flagrant foul that was not call which would have put you into a spot where it's pretty much impossible for your opponent to do anything else. If anything, your situation was an "oh, they missed one" and not a "how the hell can they not make that call". And that's followed by, "we still had a chance to win AFTER all that happened".

 

[Playmaker0017]

[CHAT=][/CHAT]

First, I went look up the play by play and it was 3:50 left in the game when that penalty occurred almost a minute more than you were saying, the ball was on the 35, not the 32 and it was 3rd & 23. New England had taken 1 time out at that point. Ryan had also just been sacked the play before and that blatant hold by Matthews was to prevent it happening again. So, not quite the game winning scenario you tried to paint.

So... with that... you're still missing the point. You're saying how they missed a face mask on Sanu where on the exact same play he is holding the defender's face mask and rips the helmet off. If anything they missed a call against BOTH players. So again, not the same. You're completely ignoring the video that you posted... Sanu is also committing a foul, yet you say they should have only flagged only the Pats for it. You also completely ignore that the face mask penalties (plural) are no where near as flagrant and therefore more easily missed based on the angle of the officials. In the playoff environment (um Super Bowl environment) that "they're going to let them play" means that even if they DID see it, they saw both players had the other's face mask, so they'll let it go. Especially if there's a pretty blatant hold -- which your video shows. Sanu is every bit as guilty of a face mask as is Ryan.

Then, with the updated 3:50 left in the game you can't run out the clock to the point where NE never touches the ball again anyway, and they probably aren't worried about using up their timeouts since it would still be, ya know, 3rd & 23.

The other thing you completely ignore is if the ball is on the 35 and penalties offset, you are now trying to kick a 52 yard FG to get the first Atlanta score since 8:31 to go in the 3rd quarter. That's not a gimme chip shot like a 21-22 yard FG had the Saints not moved the ball again.

Even after NE scored the TD to compete the comeback from 28-3, Atlanta got the ball back with 57 seconds to get into FG range and ice the game. So... you even had the ball again in regulation, with a chance to win with a FG and still couldn't. That alone shows that it is not the same!

Not only was the PI penalty horrendously missed, it was a foul by only one team, it was a dealer's choice of which foul to call with more than one there and had either been called (and they chose none), the Saints can close out the game without the Rams even having a shot to see the ball again. It was literally a game changing penalty. What you describe is, at best, offsetting that goes your way that makes it easier to win the game, but does not make it an almost certainty. In the case of the "bang (wait for it) bang" play from Sunday, if they actually make the call it's a 98% chance of a win - which IS a virtual lock to go to the Super Bowl.

Quit trying to say "it happened to Atlanta also". No, it didn't. It was not a flagrant foul that was not call which would have put you into a spot where it's pretty much impossible for your opponent to do anything else. If anything, your situation was an "oh, they missed one" and not a "how the hell can they not make that call". And that's followed by, "we still had a chance to win AFTER all that happened".

The offsetting penalties make it 2nd and 12 from NE 32. And Sanu didn’t commit a penalty by using a palm to the facemask.

Again, just stating facts. Not saying NO wasn’t done a disservice.

 

[lonestarcajun]

Here is the rule. Sanu was allowed to do what he did as a ball carrier:

“Any player possessing the football – a runner or receiver after a catch – may use an open hand to ward off a defender trying to make a tackle. The feeling is that a runner is limited in his ability to ward off defenders because his other hand is securing the football.
He may not grab or twist the face mask of the defender, but he may use the open hand against the helmet or face mask.

The runner can use an open hand, yes. They changed the rule to keep the runner from grabbing a face mask. Ryan's face mask is ripped off, that's not an open hand. So BOTH players commit a face mask penalty.

You want the bottom line? Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl and you're trying to make yourself feel better by saying it happened in a way similar to how the Saints were robbed. No, it didn't.

Atlanta even still had the ball in regulation with enough time to get into FG position and win the game... they did not. Having a chance to try again in regulation alone means it's not the same thing.

 

[lonestarcajun]

[CHAT=][/CHAT]


The offsetting penalties make it 2nd and 12 from NE 32. And Sanu didn’t commit a penalty by using a palm to the facemask.

Again, just stating facts. Not saying NO wasn’t done a disservice.

A ripped off helmet isn't a palm. If they call a face mask on Ryan, they have to call one on Sanu.