Richard Sherman said league apologized for not calling two Saints pick plays OPI (1 Viewer)

[Dr. Doom]

Yum. Seahawk tears are extra salty!

 

[SAINTSFAN]

I'm sure the league personally called Sherman and apologized. He has such a high feeling of self-importance. Take away the ability to hold and mug a WR down field and he is pedestrian.

 

[HobBeh]

 

[kizzy821]

I can't stand people who can dish it out, but can't take it.

 

[jayhawk66]

Then maybe he should be advocating for full-time officials like Sean Payton.

Oh wait, then that'd mean competent officials would have to call him on all his penalties. Sucks to live in such a glass house, huh?

 

[327]

 

[St.Dan]

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Also, he said the league apologized for the second half holding call on DeShawn Shead.

The wondrous league still needs to apologize for not flagging the Seachickens more often in 2013 when they PI'd their way to a Lombardi trophy. Happy to see that team do a slow-fade into irrelevance.

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[DaveXA]

And why are we allowing the thread title to remain as it is when it is entirely inaccurate

What Sherman said may/may not be accurate, but the OP's thread title is not inaccurate.

Richard Sherman said the league admitted that the two pick plays against the Saints should have been flagged for offensive pass interference. - Sheil Kapadia, ESPN Writer

 

[Muncie]

Amazing to see someone calling the league out for blatantly tampering with games so that the outcome of the game fit$ their narrative. Kind of like that really entertaining show I used to watch as a kid, they called it Championship Wrestling.

 

[Optimistic Ozzy]

Have you guys ever apologized to your wife for something you didn't do wrong? If you haven't then your not married.

 

[SaintsJunkie]

that is what you say to cry babies

 

[MJ in Calif]

Not sure I'm fully buying that. Why would the entire league apologize? Who would that be? Just the head of officials? Goddell? And they would apologize for 3 bad calls? The TD was not a pick. Snead bumped into the DB that was directly in front of him covering him. How can one call that a pick? Incidental contact to me. The 2nd scenario was certainly questionable and could have been called. I'm sure a Seahawk fan would say should have been called but thats the way it goes sometimes. These guys have gotten away with grabbing, holding, illegal contact for years. So chalk it up Richard as karma for all of the times you guys got away with it.

 

[Domeination]

I'm still waiting for all the apologies due to the Saints over the years.

This.

 

[st dude]

I don't know how the rule works. I was at the game and forgot to tape it, I just remember thinking that Snead needs to learn to be more discrete when attempting a "rub" play.

Regardless, Sherman's tears bring a smile to my face.

Pick plays are inconsistently moderated by refs because it often requires the intent of the player to be judged.

In its simplest form, the rules are such that one receiver cannot purposefully obstruct a defender covering another receiver. It occurs most frequently in crossing routes.

As a practical matter, all NFL teams design pick plays to push the rule as far as they can. The biggest no-nos for a receiver running a pick play is for the receiver to raise his arms and initiate contact where it looks like a block or where a receiver alters his route to run into a defender.

If two receivers run a straight crossing route and one collides with a defender, that's not necessarily a pick. It becomes a pick if the receiver intentionally ran at the defender to initiate the contact. That's why its so tough to call, it requires the ref to decide intent.

The play in question in the 4th quarter looked like a designed pick play to me. By designed, I mean I do not think Snead was legitimately going out for a pass, but rather his intent was to shield the defender from covering Cooks. That's a pick.

The reason it was tough to call is that it was done very close to the line of scrimmage and because Snead was very careful to make it not look like a pick. He did not go crashing into the defender, he just ran up and stopped, making it look like he was on a route and the guy was in his way.

Now it is an intent call, so reasonable minds can differ. Trying to be objective, I don't think Snead was running a real route, I think his intent was to get Cooks open.

But all teams design plays that push the rules, the Pats and Bellichick are famous for this. To me, this was a cleverly called pick play that Payton knew probably stood a fifty/fifty chance of drawing a penalty.

Offensive receivers push the rule on pushing off constantly, giving little shoves to get open as opposed to extending their arms on a push. Defensive backs, Sherman included, push the rules on grabbing and holding, grabbing jerseys when shielded from the refs just long enough to ruin the timing on the route.

Some weeks you are the hammer on penalties, some weeks the nail. The Saints have been the nail more often than not. We had a close call go our way, about time.

 

[insidejob]

Have you guys ever apologized to your wife for something you didn't do wrong? If you haven't then your not married.

Well, yeah. How could someone apologize to their wife if their not married?