Fumble Recovery by Steelers Reviewed and Reversed

[ConstantReboot]

I need to get some clarification on this rule.

Houston deep in Steeler territory fumbles the ball but the whistle blows. However, they reversed it based on the review.

Now take our case in which McClain pulls the ball away from the the Giants runner BEFORE the whistle blows.

Why wasn't that play reviewed and reversed like what happened in the Texans/Steelers game?

I mentioned before that was the worst officiated game I saw in years. Most of the calls favored the Giants.

 

[Corso]

I'm waiting for an owner or GM to hire a sideline attorney to specifically argue rules.

Some of this stuff is plain silly.

 

[Coy]

There's a difference between blowing the whistle because they think the knee is down and blowing the whistle because of forward progress, it's easy to review a play to see if a knee was down prior to the ball being out, it's not that easy to determine when was forward progress stopped and that's why it can't be challenged once called.

Dumb rule either way.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

The reason they called forward progress was because RB had a hold on McClain arm instead of ball which liked like he was fighting for yards. Being close on the field the refs should have seen it, let them play being that it's a turnover/score play and make the right call. They didn't blow the whistle until McClain had the ball and rolled in the ground towards endzone.

Simply terrible call

 

[Beast_from_East]

Our game was just horribly officiated, really did seem like the refs had money on the game.........................LOL

 

[Nav22]

There's a difference between blowing the whistle because they think the knee is down and blowing the whistle because of forward progress, it's easy to review a play to see if a knee was down prior to the ball being out, it's not that easy to determine when was forward progress stopped and that's why it can't be challenged once called.

Dumb rule either way.

I get that. What I don't get is why they couldn't take a look at the replay and realize, "Wait a minute... the whistle for forward progress should never have been blown because the ball was jarred loose on impact. And since there was a clear Dallas recovery, it's Dallas' ball."

If you can overturn a whistle which was blown for a knee being down, why can't you overturn a whistle that was blown for an erroneous forward progress? Maybe a rule they could look at changing in the offseason.

 

[ConstantReboot]

There's a difference between blowing the whistle because they think the knee is down and blowing the whistle because of forward progress, it's easy to review a play to see if a knee was down prior to the ball being out, it's not that easy to determine when was forward progress stopped and that's why it can't be challenged once called.

Dumb rule either way.

There was a replay after that play that showed the ball was out before the whistle. Everyone knew it in the stadium. I just don't understand why they can't review that to see when the ball came lose in regards to when the whistle was blown. Isn't that what instant replay was for?

Yes its a dumb rule either way.

 

[Lonestar94]

How many times have the refs blew the whistle early this year? Have left quite a few points off the scoreboard..

 

[Beast_from_East]

How many times have the refs blew the whistle early this year? Have left quite a few points off the scoreboard..

We have been robbed of at least 3 TDs this season because of bogus early whistles.

 

[Coy]

I get that. What I don't get is why they couldn't take a look at the replay and realize, "Wait a minute... the whistle for forward progress should never have been blown because the ball was jarred loose on impact. And since there was a clear Dallas recovery, it's Dallas' ball."

If you can overturn a whistle which was blown for a knee being down, why can't you overturn a whistle that was blown for an erroneous forward progress? Maybe a rule they could look at changing in the offseason.

Like I said, dumb rule.
Forward progress = Not Reviewable

I agree, they should look at it.

 

[Idgit]

I need to get some clarification on this rule.

Houston deep in Steeler territory fumbles the ball but the whistle blows. However, they reversed it based on the review.

Now take our case in which McClain pulls the ball away from the the Giants runner BEFORE the whistle blows.

Why wasn't that play reviewed and reversed like what happened in the Texans/Steelers game?

I mentioned before that was the worst officiated game I saw in years. Most of the calls favored the Giants.

Hard to say. The league office will probably clarify things for us tomorrow.

 

[burmafrd]

why is it that we are the only professional sport in the world who does not have professional full time officials?

 

[TellerMorrow34]

The biggest issue I had with the whistle in our game Sunday was that it was obvious that the ball was jarred loose, and the runner was losing it, at impact. It wasn't a case where Ro started taking the ball while holding him up, he knocked it loose on the hit. That's the problem I had with them not reviewing the play and realizing they'd screwed up.

But it evened out because they completely missed Smith mugging JPP with a terrible hold on one Romo's TD passes. So it worked out for us as well.

 

[dargonking999]

The difference is that forward progress is deemed a "judgement call" hence not reviewable. The officials made a judgement call that the runners forward progress had been stopped, so that play is not reviewable. They only do because you can't determine in a review, when a players forward progress has been stopped to a point that the play is dead. And because they can't review the play, it means they can't review whether or not the fumble occurred at the point of impact(As it did). They made a poor decision on the field (one of many) but the call not to review it was technically correct, even though it was horribly missed

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

If you rewatch that play, you can actually hear the whistle. The ball was coming out, before progress had stopped and few seconds before the whistle. Seems as if that is a play that the NFL needs to take a look at and, perhaps, consider a rule change on. I get the forward progress thing but I think that was a different case all together. I think it's pretty clear that the fumble happened before the ref made the decision that forward progress had stopped. JMO.

 

[dargonking999]

If you rewatch that play, you can actually hear the whistle. The ball was coming out, before progress had stopped and few seconds before the whistle. Seems as if that is a play that the NFL needs to take a look at and, perhaps, consider a rule change on. I get the forward progress thing but I think that was a different case all together. I think it's pretty clear that the fumble happened before the ref made the decision that forward progress had stopped. JMO.

It was, but since they didn't see it, the play called as it was made it non-reviewable. Even if the whistle blows during the play, if they just deem him down by contact, it can be reversed upon review. the whistle being blown prevents a return, but not the recovery.