There was a view from behind Brady that clearly shows the ball is long out of Brady's hand before any contact. You'll notice in the view you have, Gronk only takes about 1-2 steps before the ball shows up on the screen - no way the ball travels 20 yards in the time he takes the 1-2 steps. As for the defensive holding, I don't know about how the rule is written, but that's how it's called. There's never a defensive holding penalty after the ball is in the air. You'll notice they often say "Before the pass was thrown, holding on number whatever". If the ball is in the air, PI becomes the call, if anything is called.
Consider it Karma for the Pats/Saints game where the Pats got away with a blatant hold to rob the Saints of their win.
I don't think that guy pushed Gronk at all. Gronk is clearly moving himself to the back of the endzone and really didn't show much interest in making a move back for the ball. If you're being held and you think you can catch that ball, you don't look anything at all like what Gronk looked like. Don't just watch the slow motion GIF, watch it in real time. The ball was well underthrown and nowhere close to where he expected it to be. I think there's a case that his arms were pinned down, but if it's uncatahble I guess it ultimately doesn't matter.
I will take your word for it as I haven't seen that vid. I can't recall the exact incident but I've seen defensive holding while the ball was thrown also as noted the rules I posted don't mention before or when the ball is thrown. My own guess is that pass interference is a more severe penalty so in cases that could be both, when the ball is going towards a receiver, that is called. Also keep in mind that the ESPN analysis did say that it could be defensive holding which means it could apply.
I am not so sure about that. Gronkowski is moving to the back of the endzone but he is turning to look at the ball. As the Defender hugs him just before the ball comes to the endzone you can see Gronk turn his body and bring up his arms like he is trying to head back but he can't. Yes it was an underthrown ball but I don't think it is automatically uncatchable if the defender hadn't grabbed Gronk. Remember in the Packers Seahawks game last year and the much maligned call at the end. If that logic stands then all the receiver has to do is get his hands on the ball and it is a catch even if the defender has it wrapped up.
Here's a longer explanation: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-controversy-that-ended-monday-night-football A Closer Look at the NFL Rulebook Despite what many have said about the play in question, pass interference is the only penalty that could have been called—not defensive holding and not illegal contact. In the NFL rulebook, the description of what is and is not defensive holding is pretty straight-forward. It is, literally, any time a defensive player holds onto an offensive player. Illegal contact is much the same—any time a defensive player pushes an offensive one down the field. Frankly, it's one of the few parts of the NFL rulebook that makes perfect sense. That is, right until one gets to the part on exceptions: See, holding and illegal contact are both for before the pass is thrown. Often, you'll even hear referees say, "Before the pass..." as they call a holding penalty. That's why. Because the contact occurred as the ball was in the air, it cannot be holding and it cannot be illegal contact. OK, so pass interference it has to be. So was it? (then it goes into whether it was pass interference.) Holding a pre-throw penalty. PI is a post-throw penalty.
That's still debatable, it could've easily been a routine play, given the circumstances of the rules on the books. [/QUOTE]
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look at the lengths ESPN is going to try and discredit Cam's win... smh, they keep beating a dead horse over 1 call... but if the roles were reversed and the panthers got "jobbed" ESPN would be talking about Cam's pick in the endzone and questioning if he would ever live up the number 1 pick status