Kevin Faulk running 1 yd short of 1st down created all that drama. Good thing America's other team pulled through. AJ Feely and Boller both have the same 3 qtr contract with the devil. Then they just suck in the 4th qtr. Losers.
It was so ironic that Brian Billick called out one of his players for being dumb(30 yards unsportsmanlike conduct), it was him and his coaching staff that called the timeout on 4th down, that was the game right there to be had for Baltimore. I've never liked Billick, he is an arrogant know it all prick that always seems to think he's smarter than the rest of the population!
That was a great game...as much as I hate for the Patriots to win, it will only make it that much more sweet when they get beat in the playoffs.
Calling a timeout before a play is run is a little different than a player having a meltdown on the field. Now, if he had pulled a Joe Gibbs, then your post would make a little more sense.
And now from the "cry me a river" dept... Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was particularly upset with the officiating tonight. He was upset with more than what he perceived to be incorrect calls. He was upset at how officials treated Ravens players in this game. He singled out head linesman Phil McKinnely for using disrespectful language. "The refs called me a boy. No. 110 called me a boy. I will be calling my agent in the morning and sending my complaint. I have a wife and three kids. Don't call me a boy. Don't call me a boy on the field during a game because I said, 'You've never played football before.' " Official No. 110 is Byron "Phil" McKinnely, who played for three NFL teams (Atlanta, the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago) during the 1970s and 1980s. He also apparently played in the USFL. http://myespn.go.com/profile/hashmarks?tag=patriots-ravens Oh boo-hoo....you're uspet an offical (who's older and has probably had more service in the game than you) called you a boy, then you're gonna go cry to your agent about it. And they need to stop playing the "poor officiating card" and start looking to themselves for this loss. Calling a timeout on 4th and 1 right before your defense stops the other team...not one but two unsportsmanlike conduct penalites when the game is still far from over. And the questionable penalties weren't even that questionable. The holding call was, by definition, a hold. The TD catch was called a catch on the field so the reffed needed irrefutable evidence to overturn it, and I don't think it was there. Fact is, I've seen much, much worse calls that definitely warranted questioning the officials judgement. The Ravens lost that game plain and simple...just like they did in Cincy at the beginning of the season.
It's been said that the DC Rex Ryan called the timeout. I've heard the only players and coaches that can call time out are the team captains and head coach. Someone correct me if thats wrong but the ref shouldn't have blown the whistle if Ryan did ask for a timeout.
There is no conspiracy here sorry. 1) The timeout was on Baltimore not New England, I can only imagine what people would have to say if Brady had made that sneak and it was taken away cause an assistant coach called timeout even though the rule says he can't call one. 2) On the next play New England had a false start which backed them 5 yards further to bring a 4th and 6 and Brady still runs through the middle for a 1st down? That is poor defensive execution, not knowing where the QB is at all times. 3) The hold was exactly a hold which was beyond the 5 yard limit. You cannot grab a guy by his jersey in the endzone and expect to get away with it. 4) The touchdown by Gaffney was called on the field as completed pass with both feet in bound and control of the ball. The review needs irrefutable evidence to turn a call on the field. Baltimore Ravens killed themselves and self destructed in the 4th quarter with all those penalties and mistakes.
I believe this is true...but at the same time the refs are sitting there watching the game, anticipating the play. If the ball is about to be snapped, the refs aren't going to turn their head to make certain that it is a coach asking for the timeout and not a coordinator. They just trust that it is the coach. Now, if they wanted to get really technical about it and the ref realized after he stopped the play that it was not the coach asking for the timeout, they still would have had to re-run that play (since it got whistled dead).
Well, the Ravens are making themselves out to be the sorest losers in the NFL right now. The end of the game was an absolute meltdown, and now they're pissing and moaning claiming that the refs took it away from them. Aw shucks, you got away with mugging Ben Watson all day and now you're crying because you got called for a hold in the endzone? Cry me a river.
But they pay attention if any player on the field (besides a team captain) tries to call a time out and they wont call it. The sideline judges stand on the sidelines the entire game. He hears the voices of different coaches when they talk to him. I think after 3 hours you can figure out if the voice is the head coach or not. Btw...I'm not saying thats the reason the Ravens lost. The Ravens lost because they sucked during the 4th quarter. They had several shots to put the game away but couldn't do it.
Here's a thought. At the very end, after the Patriots scored their touchdown, when the Ravens got those THIRTY yards of penalty tacked onto the kick-off, the Patriots kicked off from the Ravens' 35. Not their 35, the Ravens 35. There were 44 seconds left. Now, I know this is wacky, but would you consider an onside kick? Not because you need the ball back, but because, if you secure it, the game is over. And if you don't secure it, worst case, the Ravens have the ball at their own 25...or only 5 yards farther downfield than what actually happened. (I say they'd have it at the 25, because the kickoff is from the 35, and the ball must travel 10 yards; if not, you re-kick.) I suppose there's the chance that the Ravens could return the onside kick for a TD, but I'm not convinced that onside kicks are any more likely to yield touchdown-returns than regular kickoffs. (In fact, it might be the opposite, since the ball is on the ground and people simply fall on it.) In this case, the Pats probably did the right thing, because the Ravens' offense is suspect and they only had 44 seconds. But what if they were playing the Colts? Or if there were 2 minutes left? I don't think the onside kick wouldl'a been that crazy.
