Blandino- Refs would never take part in an effort to fool a team

[RonnieT24]

There isn't a "proper" way to carry it out, when the ref tells the defense and announced to everyone who is eligible.

Dumb play design

What would be the outcry if they had announced 70 and didn't throw the flag when 68 caught it? Probably not a dang peep....

Nope because screwing the Cowboys is perfectly legal.

 

[MarcusRock]

Nah, I thought it was dumb.
Hopefully they reclarify or rewrite the rule/procedure to prevent these shenanigans in the future.

The procedures exist to make sure the defense knows who is or isn’t eligible. Trying to exploit or manipulate those procedures so that the defense doesn’t know who’s eligible shouldn’t be allowed.

Glad it blew up in Detroits face. It’s just a corny strategy all the way around.

Anything that requires thinking beneath surface level is not dumb. There's no way the defense doesn't know who's eligible because the refs goes and tells them plus announces over the PA. The ruse is that in the rush and high-pressure situation someone on defense overthinks or shortcut thinks and doesn't process what just happened (like Bell did) and you catch them napping in coverage which is why you quick snap.

 

[Silverz1972]

The only way it works is if the defense or not all players of the defense hears the announcement. The intent of the play is dirty. Similiar to a player calling out heads-tails during coin toss while the coin is in the air.

 

[CowboyFrog]

There isn't a "proper" way to carry it out, when the ref tells the defense and announced to everyone who is eligible.

Dumb play design

What would be the outcry if they had announced 70 and didn't throw the flag when 68 caught it? Probably not a dang peep....

yes because illegal touching is reviewed..again there can be no mess up if the an ineligible player touches the ball..illegal formation however could go uncalled.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

When you think about it that should be a fine for Lions even attempting to do so.

 

[pentatwirl]

The issue for the Lions is they had 70 run on like he usually does but also using the sign for reporting which he should not have because the ref saw that (and probably who it was) and went with it (but there was no verbal sign like the video they released said there needs to be).

I think the argument could be made from Allen's perspective, he also got a verbal sign from the direction of the cluster of 3 linemen. Decker said he went up and just said "report". They're all wearing helmets in a loud stadium with 70 sprinting up doing the full motion to report eligible, and 68 subtly touching his tummy while Allen is already starting to move toward the Cowboys.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

When you think about it that should be a fine for Lions even attempting to do so.

I've considered that. I bet Jerry would be fined if McCarthy tried that.

 

[Proximo]

The substitution/reporting as eligible procedures are literally in place so that the defense KNOWS who is or isn’t an eligible receiver on that play.

There’s so many ways for teams to legally trick, fool, and deceive each other. All sorts of tactics and strategies. But the defense has a right to know who is or isn’t eligible before the ball is snapped.

If Detroit is designing plays whose success is predicated on the defense NOT knowing who’s eligible, well then they’re doomed already. That’s a lame brain, corny strategy that’s trying to exploit and undermine the intention of the existing rules and procedures.

 

[MarcusRock]

The substitution/reporting as eligible procedures are literally in place so that the defense KNOWS who is or isn’t an eligible receiver on that play.

There’s so many ways for teams to legally trick, fool, and deceive each other. All sorts of tactics and strategies. But the defense has a right to know who is or isn’t eligible before the ball is snapped.

If Detroit is designing plays whose success is predicated on the defense NOT knowing who’s eligible, well then they’re doomed already. That’s a lame brain, corny strategy that’s trying to exploit and undermine the intention of the existing rules and procedures.

You keep saying this but there is no way the defense would NOT know who is eligible because 1) the refs verbally tell them, 2) it gets blasted on the PA. If 68 was chosen as they wanted to, both of those things would have happened anyway and Detroit was counting on the pressure of the moment making a defender be less aware of the double information they WOULD have received.

 

[Roadtrip635]

So here is what should happen.

When a player reports as eligible. He is the only player to approach the ref. All other players must be at least 5 yards away. The player go to the official and gets his attention and makes a clear signal. This can even be accomplished in a hurry up situation without the risk of losing any ticks off the clock.

The League had to send out a "Coaching For Dummies" video memo

 

[Jarv]

Bottom line the dumb coach told a dumb QB to throw it to a player that wasn't announced as eligible.

Then the dumb players and dumb coach complain about it afterwards.

It was a thing of beauty.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Nope because screwing the Cowboys is perfectly legal.

Which the refs had already done with the tripping reverse call. The Lions got a break and chance to win they didn't earn because of one of the worst calls ever, and the Cowboys are supposed to feel guilty about this win?

As Aikman used to say, "get real!"

 

[GMO415]

 

[bottleKids]

This is going to be such a hard post for some of the conspiracy refs are out to get Dallas posters...

 

[gimmesix]

Meh. It wasn't an effort to employ the refs to deceive, it was the Lions using past reporting to try to fool the Cowboys in a present reporting situation and muffed it up by being too demonstrative in their acting. How can the refs go and tell the Cowboys and announce a player that's not actually reporting? What they did was perfectly legal but wasn't carried out properly.

Right. There was no rule broken by what the players did. If we want to talk about it being shady, that's fine. But they expected the official to announce 68 as the player reporting, so they weren't asking the ref to keep that secret or participate in the deception. They were just counting on Dallas to not be paying attention.

Now, it's on the Lions that 68 and 70 tried to hide the intent by 68 not giving much of a hand signal and 70 giving an enthusiastic one even though he never reported. They were definitely trying to deceive the Cowboys, but not trying to break the rules (which is both saying that you report and giving the hand signal).

The clarification from the league didn't say Detroit violated a rule, just that it is up to the team to make clear to the official who is reporting. Campbell seemed to think he did that pregame, but you can't count on the officials in the heat of the moment to remember that or to accept one player weakly making the hand signal for reporting while another does a strong one, especially when he's the one who has been reporting throughout the game.

I think the only place where Detroit needs to be held accountable is blaming it on the official instead of just saying, "We needed to do a better job of reporting our intent." If 68 had given a more powerful hand signal and 70 had just done a weak one, Allen probably would have announced that 68 was eligible, and there would have been no issue.

Of course, maybe Campbell's initial conversation with the official could be considered an effort to employ the refs to deceive, but it depends on what all he said to them.

 

[nathanlt]

I never never never want to hear anything from Dean Blandino ever. He is behind the take away the Dez catch scam. I mute him if he's ever on TV. He started out as a comedian, then became VP of officiating for the NFL. Unqualified to speak officially, he is such a clown.

 

[McKDaddy]

So here is what should happen.

When a player reports as eligible. He is the only player to approach the ref. All other players must be at least 5 yards away. The player go to the official and gets his attention and makes a clear signal. This can even be accomplished in a hurry up situation without the risk of losing any ticks off the clock.t

what if another player wants \ needs to speak to the ref about something different?

why can't the player do something like a fair catch signal while the ref acknowledges by pointing at the reporting player like a basketball ref points at someone who has commited a foul? Then you have two visible signals. Wouldn't need verbiage or proximity.

 

[Scotman]

Maybe Hutchison should have tripped 70 on his way onto the field. Automatic Dallas penalty. Fresh set of downs.

 

[McKDaddy]

Anything that requires thinking beneath surface level is not dumb. There's no way the defense doesn't know who's eligible because the refs goes and tells them plus announces over the PA. The ruse is that in the rush and high-pressure situation someone on defense overthinks or shortcut thinks and doesn't process what just happened (like Bell did) and you catch them napping in coverage which is why you quick snap.

Exactly. You are hoping someone(s) is just a little slow in processing.

I have watched multiple videos and have yet to hear any former coach, player, ex ref, analyst, journalist, etc., who didn't think Allen either blundered or at the least handled it poorly. That tells me this particular situation looked "odd" to people who have participated in or been around the "reporting" process for years.

Let's clean up things like this so everyone can enjoy the games without controversy hanging over the results. Also, and I can't stress this enough, you know we'll be on the wrong side of ruling sooner rather than later. I know darn well these same folks that are cool with this outcome would be livid that it happened to us.

 

[kramskoi]

I think the argument could be made from Allen's perspective, he also got a verbal sign from the direction of the cluster of 3 linemen. Decker said he went up and just said "report". They're all wearing helmets in a loud stadium with 70 sprinting up doing the full motion to report eligible, and 68 subtly touching his tummy while Allen is already starting to move toward the Cowboys.

Too bad walking up and just saying "report" is not the proper protocol. What Skipper did is, and that's why Allen acknowledged him and not Decker. Two men can't report on one play. Once the ref establishes Skipper (who gave all the requisite visual cues) it's pretty much done.