News: ESPN: Cowboys lament decisions by officials after loss

[Rayman70]

Told u guys it would come down to kicking. Dak killed us for 3 quarters and the kicking game. Well earned loss. one and done is looking likely. Dak was shaky for 3 quarters.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Let’s say it made for a slightly longer game.. How many wrongs would it right every weekend. It’s not just Cowboys games getting screwed with. It’s every game. Some of these calls could cost a win that cost you a playoff spot..

Lets rephrase the question, would you be happy with reducing each quarter to 10 minutes to fit the game in the proper time slot? How about 9 minutes a quarter? 8 minutes?

The NFL is a moneymaking business, it’s not unlike making movies. Studios require directors to make major cuts to their films so they can fit more screenings in a theatre per day. The NFL and the Network have a deal that doesn’t allow games to be over a certain amount of time. That’s the reason the NFL has ties

 

[glimmerman]

Lets rephrase the question, would you be happy with reducing each quarter to 10 minutes to fit the game in the proper time slot? How about 9 minutes a quarter? 8 minutes?

The NFL is a moneymaking business, it’s not unlike making movies. Studios require directors to make major cuts to their films so they can fit more screenings in a theatre per day. The NFL and the Network have a deal that doesn’t allow games to be over a certain amount of time. That’s the reason the NFL has ties

Dumb rules..

 

[BermyStar]

Did the officials suck? Yes.
Do they suck most games? Yes
Even for other teams? Yes

They sucked in our favor some as well. Those two DPIs on our first TD were suspect, at best. But it wasn't a striped Jersey kicking FGs, it wasn't a stripped jersey dropping passes or missing blocks. It certainly wasn't a striped jersey that dropped a gimme pick in the endzone. We handle our business and the refs are not as big a factor. We didn't so the refs become part of the narrative...this isn't a Dallas Cowboys' truth though; it's an NFL truth that all the other 31 teams go through as well.

 

[Jake]

Tough teams look in the mirror. Soft teams look for excuses.

 

[Reality]

Tough teams look in the mirror. Soft teams look for excuses.

Good teams find a way to win close games.

 

[nate dizzle]

That is the great debate then, would you prefer constant replays and a 5-hour long game? The NFL does seem to be trying to avoid that

It was not a fumble...My only complaint was that in a close, competitive game, getting close to the end, a ref should have first ruled that a fumble and taken advantage of the system to make sure they got it right.

 

[Creeper]

The officiating of the game was questionable at times, but the Cowboys need to stop using this as an excuse. I don't think the fumble would have been overturned with replay. The guy was down before the ball came out. The picture of his head touching the turf shows this very clearly. It is a lame excuse.

That is not to say there were not a few iffy calls in the game. First, there was the delay of game not called. I know the refs give a fraction of a second grace period, but the snap was well after the play clock expired and the play should have been blown dead, the clock stopped and the Cards penalized 5 yards. Two of those things would have benefitted the Cowboys a lot.

The other play that has me a little riled is the FG when the Cowboys had to call a time out. The rule on substitutions does not say the Cards cannot send the QB and place kicker on the field together, but it does say that a team cannot send substitutes on the field to confuse the opponent. The refs should have stopped the clock and allowed the Cowboys to get the correct personnel on the field depending on whether the Cards were going to kick or go for it. Sending Murray and the kicker on the field at the same time confused the Cowboys defense and forced them to waste a time out.

I didn't like the holding call on La'el Collins or the called on Connor Williams, but the calls on Schultz and Tyron Smith were definitely holding. So was the call on the Cardinals lineman. Without reviewing the game it is hard to see what else they missed but there was one defensive holding I saw on a Cowboys running play where the Cardinals DT help Connor Williams from getting to the second level to block the LB who made the tackle. It was clear, out in the open and would have resulted in a first down instead of a stuffed play.

The Cardinals had 7 penalties for 44 yards and the Cowboys have 10 for 88. I don't see this as a significant difference.

The fact is the Cowboys lost this game because the offense struggled for 3 quarters. Dak struggled at times. The play calling was awful at times and the defense could not stop the Cardinals short passing game. Kyler Murray was throwing deadly accurate passes and Dak was not.

I do think penalties disrupt the flow of the offense so those 4 holding calls which all negating good gains were definitely a problem. But they have to overcome those penalties like they did early in the season. Dak dinking and dunking is not going to get it done. The have to get back to running the football and using play action to set up a vertical passing game which seems to disappear in these bad games.

 

[Mannix]

It doesn't help that officiating in the NFL is their second job.

Such a weak excuse

 

[Trendnet]

It actually wasn't a fumble after all.

But my point is the defense can't count on turnovers as their only way to stop teams. That whole last drive was embarrassing defense. A defense that relies solely on turnovers more than likely won't get u far in the playoffs. Add to that the offense can never get going before the end of the game against good teams. Not a great recipe for success.

Are you seriously making the argument a turnover is not a valid way of stopping an offense?

Seriously?

 

[G2]

Such a weak excuse

No one asked you.

 

[tomsanders921]

Are you seriously making the argument a turnover is not a valid way of stopping an offense?

Seriously?

No. I'm saying if that's the only way a defense can stop teams then that's not a recipe for success in the playoffs.

I don't think Rodgers is going to be throwing you interceptions in the playoffs. It can certainly happen, but it's not something you should count on.

Teams go deep in the playoffs for multiple reasons. One is they protect the football.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

It was not a fumble...My only complaint was that in a close, competitive game, getting close to the end, a ref should have first ruled that a fumble and taken advantage of the system to make sure they got it right.

That can be a bigger can of worms. Let’s say there’s a playoff game where at the very end Dak QB sneaks for the go ahead TD…. But the ball comes out. It doesn’t really look like a fumble, but it’s close.

Refs then say “the runner was down, but by new rule we always call this a fumble so we can review just in case.” Now problem is, review needs to be clear and undisputed. It’s a close call, and they don’t overturn, even though the ref openly says he would have been called down normally. Cowboys lose and are knocked out of the playoffs. Do you think people here would have any respect for that rule at all?

Plays like this happen all the time where the call could go one way or the other and replay is never conclusive enough to overturn it, even if it “kinda” looks like it should. By forcing refs to always make an iffy call would cause so many more problems

 

[triplets_93]

RE: Ref Whining:

"It's like what they're really saying is "We played sh***y for most of the game, and just when we had a chance, to have a chance, to maybe get back in the game, which we probably would have lost anyway, the refs called/didn't call something."

 

[nate dizzle]

That can be a bigger can of worms. Let’s say there’s a playoff game where at the very end Dak QB sneaks for the go ahead TD…. But the ball comes out. It doesn’t really look like a fumble, but it’s close.

Refs then say “the runner was down, but by new rule we always call this a fumble so we can review just in case.” Now problem is, review needs to be clear and undisputed. It’s a close call, and they don’t overturn, even though the ref openly says he would have been called down normally. Cowboys lose and are knocked out of the playoffs. Do you think people here would have any respect for that rule at all?

Plays like this happen all the time where the call could go one way or the other and replay is never conclusive enough to overturn it, even if it “kinda” looks like it should. By forcing refs to always make an iffy call would cause so many more problems

I hear what you're saying, but I'd rather that plays like this get a second look. You can't scare me away with them getting it wrong on review...Dez caught it.

 

[BrassCowboy]

They are also the reason Zona scored their first TD as well.

But those calls were fair, weren't they? Our CBs many times never bother looking back for the ball. It is like doesn't or coaches teach them how to do this?
I have seen this many times where our DBs never looks back, most of the time we are lucky but it is first thing looked at when calling a PI.
There were some missed calls, but many are legit. Team played like crap and that is why they deserved to and in fact did lose the game

 

[Mannix]

It may be bad league wide, but we are the only team that continues to get bent over at HOME.....and when was the last time you can remember Green Bay or a Brady led team getting hosed ANYWHERE???

 

[GINeric]

If everybody think the refs ****ed us over yesterday.... just imagine what's going to happen if we make it to Lambeau Field.

 

[MarcusRock]

Our resident referees unofficial apologist should be showing up here real soon to lecture us that we Cowboys fans are delusional and conspiracy theorists...

Hey, if you go the conspiracy route, you ARE delusional. Or at the very least don't watch other games. You can create any theory you want when you ignore counter-evidence. Y'all are just sensitive trauma patients who undergo hypervigilence with each game we play. Nothing about the refs when we win but a ton of whining when we lose. Other team had more penalties, then it's, "Oh, it's not the number, it's when they call them - late, game-affecting." Then when we get a late, game-affecting non call that helps us win like below, then it's a subject change or minimizing the the impact of it. Nothing more than agenda-driven slant. No surprise given your affiliation. Lying is par for the course too.

 

[Sheepish]

According to LVE Big Mike made reference to the refs as a reason why they lost! Great leadership there coach!

It's one thing for fans to complain and at times I have thought the refs were biased against us too (Raiders game) but when coaches and players start blaming the refs that just smacks of a losing attitude and loser vibe. Players should be focused on what they did wrong an how to improve. Like stop the run, make a 43 yard field goal, things like that which had a bigger impact on the game than 1 contested call at the end.

And coaches should be talking about why there were only 12 rushes all game by ALL running backs. If the coaches had explained that during the presser I would have starting thinking more about the officials, but the way that Big Mike and the players are talking about it, it seems almost like they are trying to distract people from pointing out the obvious problems that many saw and dodge responsibility.