Chris Carter is Defending Hitchens!

[65fastback2plus2]

he's seems very disturbed that we won that game

thats usual for him tho

 

[Blast From The Past]

Sorry. That was PI. Twice. First the jersey grab and then the contact with the shoulder.

We got away with one. I refuse to pretend otherwise.

And when is it within the nfl rules that a wr can grab ahold of a defenders facemask and it not be flagged? Dez coming onto the field without a helmet should have been a penalty.

 

[Fritsch_the_cat]

Typical lame response to my honesty.

If that was Jason Written getting that same treatment there wouldn't be a single member here claiming it wasn't a penalty.

I have to agree. I would have been pissed if it had been reversed on the Cowboys.

I can see why the call should never have been made, but also think that since it was called, it should have stood.

Still, tough noogies for the Lions. All teams get screwed by the refs. The national media needs to quit crying about it.

 

[Crown Royal]

If you're going to "emphasize" no contact and really be strict, it's absolutely PI. If you're going to let them play a little, then the contact was generally incidental and Pettigrew made no effort to come back to the ball (which would have made it CLEAR PI).
It was certainly holding, and it was certainly illegals hands to the face.

It was absolutely poorly handled by the officiating crew.

It was also not the only play that Detroit had a chance to win the game on, it's just the only one their fans choose to focus on.

 

[Boyz981]

Sorry. That was PI. Twice. First the jersey grab and then the contact with the shoulder.

We got away with one. I refuse to pretend otherwise.

Best troll of all-time?

 

[Crown Royal]

I have to agree. I would have been pissed if it had been reversed on the Cowboys.

I can see why the call should never have been made, but also think that since it was called, it should have stood.

Still, tough noogies for the Lions. All teams get screwed by the refs. The national media needs to quit crying about it.

Yeah it's one I'd rather no flag was thrown for, but since it was, only being a cowboys fan makes me happy they picked it up.

 

[GermanJohn]

My reaction to people at work:

 

[TheEnigma]

The facemask is irrelevant to whether it was PI or not. You guys are using that to distract from the actual call on the field.

You cannot grab someone's jersey to impede their progress. You cannot make clear substantial contact with the receiver before the ball arrives with your back to the football.

Hitchens did both. It was a penalty.

It was not pass interference. First of all, the grabbing of the jersey would have been holding, which wasn't called. Just as the facemask by Pettigrew was also not called.

As far as the contact goes, everybody seems to be hung up on this idea that contact while not looking back for the ball is pass interference.

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/passinterference

(a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver’s opportunity to make the catch.

The second part of that is important. Hitchens' hand being on Pettigrew did not restrict his ability to make the catch. Stafford's poor throw did.

 

[Fritsch_the_cat]

Yeah it's one I'd rather no flag was thrown for, but since it was, only being a cowboys fan makes me happy they picked it up.

After the flag was picked up, it became a case of "let them play". Both Pettigrew (a homie of mine I might add) and Hitchens were working each other over pretty good. Both got their shot in, so fair enough, I say.

 

[jterrell]

Cris Carter did a very good job describing why it wasn't a penalty.

The ball wasn't high enough to be catchable and the receiver never made an attempt to go back to the ball.
The facemask aside, hand guarding is not a penalty in the NFL.
If the ball had been at Hitchens helmet instead of his back it might have earned the call.

The guy who made the call initially was 30 yards away and the guy closest at 5 yards away with a great look overruled him.

Making the call aloud was the mistake.

The bigger issue for Detroit IMHO is you had it 3rd and 1. If you are going to go for a down the field pass there you should be ready to run for it on 4th and 1. They weren't and put all their eggs in a TE basket when they haven't really thrown to TEs all year.

 

[iceberg]

he's seems very disturbed that we won that game

you could have stopped after "disturbed".

 

[Hook'em#11]

I agree, I was surprised the flag was picked up but then I felt it was a bad call to begin with

I think it was a total make up call to be honest.

Considering all the calls the refs didn't make against the Lions in the first half.. LOL.. And, the calls that were BS that the Lions received..

Either way. Dallas STILL needed to make the plays to get the TD. And, got them. The holding call on #54 of the Lions defense hurt the Lions.

 

[Don Corleone]

Am I wrong for thinking that was borderline offensive PI? If Hitchens was looking for the ball, then that's a pick. His facemask was grabbed and he couldn't turn around?

 

[thechosen1n2]

Typical lame response to my honesty.

If that was Jason Written getting that same treatment there wouldn't be a single member here claiming it wasn't a penalty.

Not True Risen Star. You dont know me well but I would be the first to say "We got away with one, and Oh well, Im happy about it!!" but this is not one of those cases. You may have a point on the contact before the pass, but Hitchens did not impede progress, and as far as the "PI" the TE pulled Hitchens towards himself by the facemask. How is that clearly as interference on Hitchens? Hitchens could not look for the ball, and he had to swipe the guys arm to get his head free. There was more to demonstrate offensive PI than defensive.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think it was a total make up call to be honest.

Considering all the calls the refs didn't make against the Lions in the first half.. LOL.. And, the calls that were BS that the Lions received..

Either way. Dallas STILL needed to make the plays to get the TD. And, got them. The holding call on #54 of the Lions defense hurt the Lions.

No doubt the game was still in the balance with Det leading. If Det wants to get upset then they can look to a 10 yard punt setting Dallas up with great field position, they can look at not stopping Dallas on a 4th and 6, they can be upset that instead of forcing Dallas to kick the FG to tie the game at 20 they were unable to get to Romo who found Williams in the back of the endzone for the go ahead TD.
With the ball and 2 TO the ball at the 20 and 4 points down they still had the chance to come back, hell we gave them a free 1st down when Lawrence recovered the fumble then re-fumbled the ball. They had the ball later in the drive at mid field still with ample time and could not stop Lawrence on a 4th and 3 from sacking the QB to end it. If people want to put the game on that 1 call fine but there was a lot of things that took place after that call and Det failed to capitalize on it.

 

[CowboyGil]

The reversal was correct.

It was a very clumsy way of handling it which led to the whining.

Exactly. Strahan said just don't throw the flag in the first place and you avoid all the controversey.

 

[mrmojo]

Greenie said their were other penalties on the Cowboys last drive, against the Lions, that he thought the Refs screwed up on too. I cant recall any that would fall into that category, the one holding on Dunbar was an obvious penalty. But that's just Greenie....typical.

Eric Davis and Terrell Davis said basically the same thing as Carter on NFLN

 

[packpitts]

http://dal.scout.com/story/1490542-cowboys-chronology-comeback-over-detroit?s=112

Video at bottom

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Sorry. That was PI. Twice. First the jersey grab and then the contact with the shoulder.

We got away with one. refuse to pretend otherwise.

so what was it when the WR tugged at his face mask?

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Greenie said their were other penalties on the Cowboys last drive, against the Lions, that he thought the Refs screwed up on too. I cant recall any that would fall into that category, the one holding on Dunbar was an obvious penalty. But that's just Greenie....typical.

Eric Davis and Terrell Davis said basically the same thing as Carter on NFLN

Yeah. The fact that quite a few analysts are coming out this morning and saying picking up the flag was the right call makes me think this whole "controversy" is extremely overblown.