Breaking Down Louis Murphys Non-Catch

There is alot of debate on whether or not Louis Murphys “catch” towards the end of the first half monday night against the Chargers was rightfully over-turned.

Me myself after reading numerous opinions on the play am unsure. But heres by best attempt at being unbiased in a break-down of the play.

First heres the rule and refferee Carl Cheffars explanation:

Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 of the NFL Rule Book (page 51) states that “if a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact with an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone.

“If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”

Cheffers: “We had a situation where the receiver caught the pass in the air and as he is coming down to the ground, he is actually going to the ground. That’s a defined term in our rule book, a player, a receiver who is going to the ground.

“The rule book says, if a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass, with or without contact by opponent—so that can be on his own; In this case, he got hit by an opponent—he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or in the end zone.

“If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

“That wasn’t the case. What we ruled, what we saw in replay, was that he was going to the ground, as he came down the ball came loose, he lost control of the ball, the ball skidded along the ground, he eventually completely lost control of the ball. So, by rule, by what we saw in review, it’s an incomplete pass.”

On the play Murphy appears to catch the ball over the defender and and come down on both feet…Touchdown right?

Well aparently not, according to Cheffers response in an interview the fact that Murphy was on his way to the ground negates the fact that he got two feet down. He has to maintain possesion all the way to and while one the ground. 

Then theres the fact that his butt also hits the ground before he drops it. Regarding the rules of possesion a but is equal to two feet and equals possesion.

Well apaerently the fact that he is going to the ground still applies here. So far the rule has negated possesion with two feet and a butt which is technically equivalent to four steps in the endzone.

So assuming all that is proper interpretation of the rule and he didn’t have possesion prior to the drop…Is that a fair rule? And when exactly is the act of catching the ball complete?

Now on the the actual drop.

After he rolls over onto his knees the ball does move. Does this mean he has lost control of the ball?

Some Raider fans even argue the ball doesn’t actually fully come out until he is in the process of getting up off the ground.

Then theres one more NFL rule. In order to over-turn a play called on the field there must be irrefuttable evidence.

Let me ask you…Is it really irrefuttable that Louis Murphy dropped that ball?

Then there is one more issue.

Many Raider fans argue that we were cheated out of a win on that play. Really?

It was tied at the end of the second qaurter and we were able to take the lead with a field goal rather than the TD.

Even if we were robbed four points (the difference in the score) we still had a chance to stop the Chargers on the game winning drive. We just failed to do so.

And even if we had those four points that doesn’t result in a win. That would have meant overtime and we still would have had to beat the Chargers in overtime play.

So Raider Nation what do you think? Was it a catch? Were we robbed? Or was it a correct call?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Passing Fancy: Baltimore Ravens Passing Game vs. Kansas City

Yes it’s only one game, against a team that went 2-14 last year, but were those really the Baltimore Ravens out there?

Contrary to everything the so-called experts say they are, as well as their own image as a run-first/defense-oriented team, the Ravens came out gunning it like the Air Coryell Chargers in their 38-24 Week One victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Seven of the Ravens first eight plays were passes. Of the team’s 32—yes, 32—first downs, 20 came by way of the pass.

The training wheels were clearly off of second-year quarterback Joe Flacco, who put up 43 pass attempts—which was practically two games worth of attempts last season. Particularly in the first half, it seemed the Ravens were throwing on every snap.

The proof however, was in the pudding. Flacco, who did not have a 300-yard passing game all season last year, put up 307 yards through the air and three touchdown passes with one interception.

The much maligned receiving corps, called “bums” by ESPN’s Keyshawn Johnson, managed to hold off the talk radio blowhards screaming for a trade for Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin by at least one week. Mark Clayton led the way with five catches for 77 yards and the game-winning score.

Old reliable Derrick Mason chipped in with four catches for 47 yards, while newcomer Kelley Washington made three key catches to convert third downs into first.

The revelation however was the return of tight end Todd Heap. The former Pro Bowler was a force in the middle of the field, beating KC’s linebackers like a government mule all day. He finished with five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Ultimately, Flacco spread the ball to seven different pass receivers, with all seven making at least two catches each.

So why the new passing fancy? Certainly the Chiefs defense, fifth-worst against the pass a year ago, had something to do with it. But at the same time, the Ravens hinted at it throughout the preseason, throwing on almost every down.

Flacco’s development also played a huge role. In his second year, “The Brow” is now a confident leader, belying his “Joe Cool” rep by pumping his fist and showing an emotional side, particularly after the 31-yard touchdown to Clayton that sealed the deal for the Ravens. He knows this is now HIS team. Flacco clearly loves the increased freedom offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is allowing him to throw the ball at will.

Lost in the shuffle of all the passing though is that in Week One, the Ravens did exactly what the said they would do all offseason, namely, have more balance on offense.

Although the 43 pass attempts got the attention, the Ravens also ran 42 times—near perfect offensive symmetry. Once the Ravens got the running game got cranked up, the Ravens looked like a team that could be very, very difficult to stop.

With Week One now behind them, the Ravens will face a sterner test out west in the person of the San Diego Chargers. What should we expect from the passing game this week? Probably more of the same against a Charger pass defense that was second worst in the league.

In addition, seeing the Bolts struggle to contain the Raiders running game Monday night probably has Cameron imagining a whole array of offensive possibilities.

Truth be told, the Ravens didn’t even break out any of the trick plays they showed last year. Very little of the unbalanced line and no “Suggs Package” to be found.

If you combine those to a potentially potent passing game and the three-headed rushing attack of Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le’Ron McClain, there could be something exciting brewing in Charm City.

Again, it is only one week, way too early to anoint them the second coming of the ’99 Rams, but the days of the Ravens being perceived as a dull, conservative and boring offensive team may just be coming to an end.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

2009 NFL Review: Week 1

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Sssssshhh! New York’s Running Donkey Has Something to Say

If you’re not familiar with the player pictured above laying prostrate on the ground like a dead guppy, that would be none other than New York Giant running back, Brandon Jacobs.  Or, as I like to affectionately call him, “the world’s dumbest professional athlete.”

A little harsh?  Trust me, it’s not really.

See, Jacobs has a problem. 

He has a pea-sized brain that sits inside a malformed cone-shaped cranium which rests on top of a giant 6’4″ 264 lbs frame.

More precisely, Jacobs’ brain has developed just enough to where he’s able to acknowledge audible sounds (like reporter questions), form short bursts of complete sentences that at times can produce the following gems:

On the subject of Tony Romo…(PFT.com – Gregg Rosenthal)

“I don’t think he’s that good a passer, to be honest with you […] I’m not a fan of Tony Romo, no.  Keep him in the pocket, he’s not that good. […] His luck will be gone sooner or later.  If you were to keep Tony Romo in the pocket he’s not that effective.”

On the Cowboys playing host to the Giants during thier home opener at the new stadium…(Matt Mosley blog)

“They should’ve put Detriot in there instead of us.”

These are strange comments indeed. 

With the confidence and voracity of the statements, you would think the Giants have been eating Romo and the Cowboys’ lunch.

Here are the facts:

– In 40 career regular season starts, Romo sports a .700 win percentage (28-12).

– 95.7 career QB rating. Steve Young holds the highest career rating (min. 1,500 attempts) at a 96.81 clip.  Romo currently has 1,334 attempts.

– Dallas has beaten the Giants in four of their last six regular season matchups. Dallas also owns the all-time series edge (55-37-2).

– Dallas has won (4-0) every regular season matchup that Romo has started against the Giants.

Now, are these numbers fool-proof in proving Romo’s greatness?   

No.

Nor do they take away from the impressive Super Bowl run the Giants made in 2007, beating the Cowboys in Dallas along their way.

However, the Giants are nowhere close to having the Cowboys’ number.  Not to mention you don’t accumulate wins and numbers like that by pure “luck.”

In light of the aforementioned comments, Jacobs’ hot air turns out to be nothing but a whimpering sneeze. 

Speaking of whimpering, does anyone remember the flustered mess Jacobs was after the ’07 home loss to the Cowboys. 

You remember that game, right? 

That’s the one where Crayton laid the ball across the goaline for the touchdown, instead of running it all the way in.  Crayton in a post game interview likened the win to going into someone elses house and slapping their mama.

Jacobs got wind of this as he was interviewed in his locker room and was visibly shaken, only managing to whimper, “Patrick Crayton sucks!”

Oh, the memories!

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Jaguars’ Punishing Ground Game Eclipsed By Colts’ Pass Pressure in Loss

As Sunday’s hard-fought contest between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars was digested by major news outlets for casual public consumption, several prominent members of the sports media reached a curious conclusion.

“The revamped Colts’ defense showed that it was up to the challenge of playing in a slugfest against the Jaguars,” NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks wrote.

“The Colts surrendered 114 yards rushing,” he noted, “but were stout at the point of attack as they committed eight men to the box on early downs.”

“[Indianapolis’] bulkier defensive line also held up better against an old nemesis, Maurice Jones-Drew,” ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky added.

True, the Colts didn’t give up nearly 400 yards at almost nine yards a carry this time. In starting the 2009 season 1-0, Indianapolis’ defense pressured Jaguars quarterback David Garrard into making hurried decisions at key moments in a 14-12 nail-biter.

But neither the game tape nor the numbers back up the widely-disseminated Monday morning assertion that the Colts’ defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage between the tackles.

All praise for Indianapolis’ performance has been rightly tempered with the footnote that the Jaguars gained over 100 yards on the ground. In fact, none of Jacksonville’s 26 runs against the Colts went for negative yardage, and only two were for no gain.

Antonio Johnson and Eric Foster, Indianapolis’ starting defensive tackles, combined for an impressive 10 total tackles, but the Colts wisely shied away from pitting their quick, undersized front four directly against Jacksonville’s beefy offensive line.

Instead, they attempted to contain the Jaguars’ ground game by peppering their man-gap rush defense with zone blitzes and packing eight in the box. With ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis taking precious seconds off Garrard’s internal clock on passing plays, committing an eighth defender to the run carried little risk.

Still, their creativity amounted to little on a signature late-game drive by Jacksonville.

Down 14-6, the Jaguars asserted themselves against Indianapolis’ defense on an 11-play, 58-yard series that bridged the third and fourth quarters, culminating in a seven-yard sweep by Jones-Drew for six.

Eight of Jacksonville’s 11 plays on that drive were runs, and one of the three passes was a 19-yard completion set up by a play-action fake.

Available video of the Jaguars’ runs—from the touchdown to the failed two-point conversion, and especially the 26-yarder in the second quarter—helps tell the real story from the trenches in Sunday’s game.

On the touchdown, Freeney beat tight end Marcedes Lewis and had a shot at Jones-Drew. Meanwhile, tackle Eugene Monroe sealed the edge upfield as guard Maurice Williams pancaked a Colts defender in backside pursuit.

Jacksonville’s failed attempt at a Wildcat run underscored the struggles of the Jaguars’ rookie tackles against Freeney and Mathis. With a big-enough hole open up the middle, Jones-Drew was stopped short as the Colts’ ends made inside rush moves and met on either side of him.

Jones-Drew’s 26-yard run exposed Indianapolis’ size disadvantage. Even with six down linemen and two linebackers in short zones, the Colts were overwhelmed at the point of attack by the Jaguars’ strength and execution.

Guard Vince Manuwai bullied the two defenders in his path, knocking them both to the ground to make way for Jones-Drew.

With varying degrees of success from play to play, the Jaguars’ linemen maintained that physical upper hand on runs throughout the game. But when offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter attempted to capitalize through the air against a defense that had sold out against the run, Freeney and Mathis punished Jacksonville’s rookie pass protectors and Garrard.

Credit is due to Indianapolis’ veteran pass rushers for taking over Sunday’s game. Monroe and Eben Britton won’t see the like of them until the Colts come to Jacksonville for a rematch in December. By then, they’ll have more experience under their belts.

But the Colts’ so-called “stout” defensive front has received undue acclaim for a pedestrian showing against the Jaguars’ interior linemen. Time and again, second-level defenders were called on to corral Jones-Drew, and pressure from the edges collapsed several pockets that were sealed in front of Garrard.

Manuwai, Williams, and center Brad Meester gelled impressively for Jacksonville in their first game together since the 2008 opener at Tennessee, resuming their role as the engine of a formidable ground game.

Maybe in the December rematch, instead of switching gears to try passes, Koetter might just keep his foot on the gas.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Illusion of the Redskins’ O-Line

As I watched the Redskins-Giants game, I couldn’t help but be a bit pleased with the offensive line. Campbell had decent time. The running game wasn’t great, but the protection wasn’t particularly porous either. I had abysmal expectations and the results ranged from average to good.

But still something nagged at me: that any crispness will disappear by the midpoint of the season.

It happened last year, and it’ll happen again this year. The Redskins’ offensive line will play well and convince everyone the team is a contender. Then the veterans will start getting tired and hurt, and the team will quickly fall apart.

Take a look at all of the starting linemen, and none of them are bad players. They’re just old and injury prone. The team’s depth and youth at O-line was the biggest hole on the team last year – even worse than the defensive line – and went criminally untreated during the offseason. Compare the starters to their backups listed on the depth chart:

Left tackle: Chris Samuels, age 32

Easily the best and most stable lineman, even Samuels is starting to get old. He’s been playing for 10 years, and bodies can’t survive that long.

Backup: D’Anthony Batiste.

Left guard: Derrick Dockery, age 29

Dockery is a bit overrated and penalty-prone, but he’s at least the one lineman whom I trust surviving the whole season. He once started 29 games in a row.

Backup: Edwin Williams.

Center: Casey Rabach, age 31

He’s getting old and he’s injury prone. Otherwise, Rabach is a pretty solid starter. He’s at the top of the list on starters unlikely to survive the season unscathed.

Backup: Will Montgomery.

Right guard: Randy Thomas, age 33

Thomas is a former pro-bowler, but the oldest “Dirtbag” on the line. There’s no way he can be expected to survive an entire 16 games at full strength.

Backup: Chad Rinehart — the best backup on the O-line.

Right tackle: Stephon Heyer, age 25

The only starter remotely prospect-ish, and really one of a few on the entire Redskins roster with a promising long-term future, Heyer is playing better with each passing week. However, he’s an injury concern.

Backup: Mike Williams.

Aside from Rinehart, they’re incredibly weak in depth on the line and have too many fragile veterans starting. The Redskins will give the perception of being a fundamentally strong team for the first half of the season, and then collapse again.

Get some real depth and some true O-line prospects, Dan Snyder, and your team will turn from pretender to contender.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Sad End To Shawn Andrews’ Eagles Career?

Andy Reid ended Shawn Andrews’ 2009 season today, placing him on injured reserve after his balky back just would not allow him back on the field. Reid’s statement on the transaction was brief, but somehow conveys the frustration of a teacher who has finally given up on a wayward student:

“It’s disappointing to lose any player for the entire season, but we have full confidence in the other linemen we have on this roster to help this team succeed. We wish Shawn all the best as he recovers and rehabilitates from this injury.”

Despite the pain I’m sure back spasms entail, I think the Eagles’ brass believes the enigmatic Andrews could have played through them. In their minds if his last name was Runyan or Thomas, he would have and they’ve just had enough waiting for him to be that tough guy.

Will this stint on the IR end his career in green? Can he redeem himself in their eyes by busting his tail in rehab and stop the incessant YouTubing and twittering.

If Andrews’ back is really that bad and he never gets to suit up for the Birds again it’ll be tragic. Say what you will about his eccentric behavior -the twitters, the hair cut, the childish air about him – the dude can maul. With better health, both mental and physical, Andrews could have possibly been the best lineman in Eagles history. He certainly was the most athletic I’ve ever seen. A true dancing bear.

If this is a case of a guy simply losing the will to compete, to not endure the aches and pains Monday mornings bring, then it’s a shame but a heck of lot easier to see him walk away.

During the off-season it seemed like he still had some emotional issues he was working through. His talk of how much he wanted to play and how hard he was working to get back seemed to be more for his own benefit than ours, trying to convince himself that was the truth, because we weren’t buying it.

Some will call him a pussy for not wanting to play through the pain. I’m not sure that’s fair. If you don’t love what you’re doing you don’t love what you’re doing. If you make the Pro Bowl as an NFL lineman you can’t be a pussy.

Andrews needs to continue to get healthy before he can contribute anything on the field. Whether or not he’s an Eagle when he does that is the question. And maybe getting healthy in the head finally lets him come to grips with the fact he just doesn’t want to play anymore, and he can finally twitter that to the world.

 

 

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

QB Protectionism Is Bad For The Game

To really understand the NFL, one must know that it is a quarterback-driven league.

Quarterbacks are the central focus of the offense; they control where the ball goes.

Quarterbacks dominate the league’s marketing.

Quarterbacks get the biggest contracts.

Quarterbacks are legion in the broadcast booth.

Even though football is less star-driven than many other sports, quarterbacks make up the most recognizable figures in the game today. The league recognizes this, and has taken steps to protect these athletes, to insulate them as much as possible from the harsh realities of this physical game.

Sometimes, though, the desire to protect quarterbacks can interfere with the game itself. This cannot be allowed to happen.

Monday night’s game provided prime examples of over-protection. Sacks by both linebacker Adalius Thomas and tackle Vince Wilfork drew roughing the passer penalties. In both cases, the penalties extended the Bills’ drives.

Had the Patriots not conjured some last-second heroics, the penalty on Thomas would have undoubtedly been a major point of contention Tuesday morning, and it’s never a good thing when the officials are the topic of conversation.

Thomas did swing Edwards to the turf, but it was not in an excessively violent manner; he was merely trying to make a definitive tackle.

The Patriots, indeed, have had the problem of not finishing tackles in recent years, and it has occasionally led to losses. Should Thomas have attempted a less forceful tackle, possibly allowing Edwards to break free? Of course not.

This was a situation where the Patriots played well (Thomas was in position to make the sack and made use of the opportunity) and were put at a disadvantage because of a questionable call.

After watching Tom Brady’s knee collapse last year, Patriots fans are certainly sensitive to the possibility of an injured quarterback. However, I think we can all agree that, when protecting a quarterback becomes too much of a concern, it can negatively impact the game itself.

Indeed, I would argue most serious injuries (to the quarterback or otherwise) are not the result of illegal hits. They are simply the result of the speed of the game; an awkward movement is more likely to land one on the injured reserve than a vindictive player.

It is the NFL’s duty to protect its players, but when it goes overboard, it threatens the legitimacy of the game.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos: Despite Last Minute Touchdown, New Look “D” Debuts Well

It wasn’t much more than a month ago that I predicted that the Broncos’ defensive line didn’t have the talent needed for the transition they were making to the 3-4. In fact, I basically expected them to be a bust right from the start.

Okay. So it’s going to take more than one game to change my prediction, or at least to make me admit I was wrong, but even I’m not stubborn enough to see that the defense couldn’t have played much better than they did on Sunday. 

In the first game of the Josh McDaniels era, Denver struggled to move the ball against the athletic Cincinnati defense. Other than Brandon Stokley’s history making 87 yard touchdown reception in the final seconds, the Kyle Orton-led offense scored only six points through four quarters.

So it’s a very good thing that the Broncos’ defense was there to pick up the slack.

Wait a minute, scratch that. The Broncos’ DEFENSE picked up the slack? Let’s put that in perspective for a moment.

Last year, the offense had to play out of their mind every week just to give the Broncos a chance. In four of their eight victories, the Broncos had to score more than 20 points to make up for the defense’s embarrassing inefficiencies. Only twice did the Denver “D” hold opponents to less than 15 points (14 and 13).

The Broncos didn’t win a game where they scored 10 points or less. In fact, they were blown out in all three games that they failed to reach more than 10 points, courtesy of the Pats, Raiders, and Panthers. Yes, that’s right, the god damn Raiders.

If last year’s team only scored six points in a game, they would have had absolutely no chance to win. That was just the depressing reality that the Broncos had reached under Mike Shannahan.

Under Josh McDaniels, the man behind the Patriots’ record-setting offense, everyone knew things would be different this year. But to win a game in which the offense can only put up six points? That’s just ridiculous.

The defense held a mostly healthy Carson Palmer to just 247 yards passing and picked him off twice. Ochocinco caught five balls for 89 yards, but never scored a touchdown. Cedric Benson carried 21 times for 76 yards, but take away his 20 yard run and he carried 20 times for only 56 yards, an average of 2.8 yards per carry.

And just take a look at the result of the Bengals’ nine series’ before the touchdown: punt, turnover on downs, interception, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt.

Thanks to the strong play of the front three, the linebackers roamed free for much of the game, stifling the Bengals’ running game and sacking Palmer three times. Brian Dawkins had seven solo tackles and was involved in almost every play.

Bottom line; not only does this unit appear to be light years ahead of the one from last season, but it kept the Broncos in a position to win the game. That in itself is the most promising sign to come out of Dove Valley in quite some time.

Still, it’s too early to get overexcited. Even if the defense can play this well against Cleveland, and after the way Brady Quinn played last week, there’s no reason to think they can’t; the real test will be whether or not the Broncos “D” can survive the season.

Or maybe it’s the offense we should all be worried about now.

Really I just don’t know anymore.

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Week 2 NFL Picks: Cheerleader Edition

The NFL is finally back! I don’t know about you, but Week 1 was basically a national holiday for me. I’m so glad football is a part of my life again.

One thing I saw in Week 1 was how unpredictable this season is going to be. Aside from a few games, almost nothing went like you expected it to. So if you’re going to try to pick games this year, you’re going to need a system.

My system, I’m sure you’ve guessed, is cheerleaders. When in doubt, go with the team with the hottest cheerleaders. Of course, if one team doesn’t have one, you gotta go the other way. In the even that both teams are without cheerleaders, you have to get creative…

So without any further ado, here are my Week 2 NFL Picks: Cheerleader Edition.

Begin Slideshow

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010