The “refs are out to get us” evidence is actually thin

[Hennessy_King]

Like you, I hate watching games where too many penalties are called. Especially the ticky-tacky calls. No doubt the quality of officiating in the NFL has dropped. But I’m saying it’s bad for everyone. And yes, I’ve seen a ton of bad calls made against us. But so have other teams. I like watching games where penalties are rare for both teams.

Agreed. But I'll never get over the 2016 playoff game against GB. If they ever came out and found out games are fixed all my $ is saying that was one of the games.

 

[kskboys]

I’d say the Cardinals vs. Steelers Super Bowl was one of the worst officiated games I’ve seen.

Agree.

Sea vs Steelers is also a close one. The Refs simply would not let the Seachickens make a play.

 

[Bobhaze]

Agreed. But I'll never get over the 2016 playoff game against GB. If they ever came out and found out games are fixed all my $ is saying that was one of the games.

Yeah but if we don’t blow the coverage on that last pass from Rodgers...If we hadn’t come out of the gate to start that game flat...if Heath could have stripped Rodgers on that blitz where he was untouched. We got some bad calls for sure. But we also blew a lot of opportunities to make plays.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Agree.

Sea vs Steelers is also a close one. The Refs simply would not let the Seachickens make a play.

That may actually be the game I’m thinking of.

 

[kskboys]

Oh...and you also make a great point about "controlling" the games in general...not just the Cowboys.

Of course we watch tehCowboys more frequently typically and certainly with more attention and investment. Happens to many teams, I would say.

Comebacks.

That's what the NFL wants. If a team goes up by a couple or more scores and starts driving to go up by even more, TWEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTT........holding. Which can be called on every play. Plus, isn't it strange that it's a 10 yard penalty? That's huge, especially for a penalty that can be called on every play.

No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but man, this stuff is blatant!!!!!

 

[kskboys]

That may actually be the game I’m thinking of.

It was both. The holding on the Steeler's LB on his 4 million yard return right before the half was extremely blatant in the ARI/PITT super bowl.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

This is precisely why Cowboy conspiracists cant be taken serious:

1. Their perspective is only acutely focused on calls that go against the team.

2. They do not watch other teams with the same intensity and scrutiny as they do the Cowboys

3. They think bad calls/timing of calls only happen to the Cowboys or disproportionately to the Cowboys (see points 1 & 2)

When calls benefit the Cowboys it’s either radio silence or rationalized “well, it balances everything out....”

 

[Swanny]

The rest are not shooting from the lip all of the time. He's actually had to fine him for making comments to the media during negotiations.

I think it's more about am entertainment value. Both sides know exactly what's happening. It creates news.

 

[Hennessy_King]

Yeah but if we don’t blow the coverage on that last pass from Rodgers...If we hadn’t come out of the gate to start that game flat...if Heath could have stripped Rodgers on that blitz where he was untouched. We got some bad calls for sure. But we also blew a lot of opportunities to make plays.

You have the PI where witten gets tackled wasn't called. You have the hands to the face on mo claiborne on a 3rd down play that wasn't hands to the face. The packers drove down and scored a td that drive. We all saw david irving get tackled. The garbage player unsportsmanlike on butler where teams usually get warnings.

 

[Hennessy_King]

This is precisely why Cowboy conspiracists cant be taken serious:

1. Their perspective is only acutely focused on calls that go against the team.

2. They do not watch other teams with the same intensity and scrutiny as they do the Cowboys

3. They think bad calls/timing of calls only happen to the Cowboys or disproportionately to the Cowboys (see points 1 & 2)

When calls benefit the Cowboys it’s either radio silence or rationalized “well, it balances everything out....”

That was a bad call and said so at the time. It's a matter of wrong calls that go against a certain team throughout the game. AKA us vs GB in 2016 playoffs.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Comebacks.

That's what the NFL wants. If a team goes up by a couple or more scores and starts driving to go up by even more, TWEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTT........holding. Which can be called on every play. Plus, isn't it strange that it's a 10 yard penalty? That's huge, especially for a penalty that can be called on every play.

No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but man, this stuff is blatant!!!!!

The ten yards drive me nuts!

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Yeah but if we don’t blow the coverage on that last pass from Rodgers...If we hadn’t come out of the gate to start that game flat...if Heath could have stripped Rodgers on that blitz where he was untouched. We got some bad calls for sure. But we also blew a lot of opportunities to make plays.

Nope....not buying this. If the players don't make the plays that's one thing. And we absolutely will blast them!

It's no excuse for refs seemingly "controlling" the game.

 

[jaythecowboy]

Every year, during every Cowboys game, the cries of “These refs are out to get us”, or “Goodell has this crew paid off to get us” go out. But it does beg the question, Is this really true? What evidence do we have that we are getting hosed by the guys in stripes?

Looking at the number of total penalties called during the season is one way to look at the big picture of how often the Cowboys are being flagged during games compared to the rest of the league. Here’s a link to a pretty good free site to examine penalties called: https://www.nflpenalties.com/phase.php?year=2018

Here’s how the Cowboys stacked up last year when it came to penalties called against us:

• The Cowboys were 21st in the NFL last year in total number of penalties called against us. In other words, 20 of the 32 teams in the NFL had more penalties called than we did.
• We were ranked 10th in the league in offensive holding calls against us, which is in the top third. But here’s some perspective: We were called 25 times for offensive holding. Our opponents were called 25 times last year for offensive holding. Can’t say we were unequally called.
• In a year when defensive holding was seemingly called constantly, the Cowboys were ranked 24th in number of defensive holding calls.

So looking at 2019 in the penalties called department, it looks like we weren’t penalized as much as most teams.
one thing I will say is the quality of refereeing in the NFL has dropped in my opinion. But I don’t think any one team has been the beneficiary of the refs bad calls. This is a problem the NFL needs to address. It’s not a fairness issue as much as a quality issue.

The point isn't to have an equal number of calls for both teams. The point is to make calls accurately.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I don't think there's a league conspiracy for or against any particular team for bad calls, but I do think there's plenty of evidence of just plain ref screwups.

 

[MarcusRock]

That game was bad. But our 2016 loss there were 4 obvious calls/no calls that directly related to points scored all in favor of GB. Might even be 5. Reason why it was bad because it was all one sided.

But it wasn't though. This call wasn't made on Dallas vs. GB

This one was on a 3rd down when they were up big already and forced them out of a drive. Not called.

See, fans of their own teams have amnesia to things like these. Should both of these calls have been made?

 

[VACowboy]

I don't believe the League brass is out to get the Cowboys. It makes no sense. When the Star is shiny, when the Cowboys thrive everybody makes a pile of money. Who thinks a Cowboys team contending for the SB wouldn't jack TV ratings bunches more than Cowboys games already do, and give the League even more leverage going into broadcast negotiations after next year? Do I think some owners get jealous of the Cowboys' prestige and wish they could do something about it? Absolutely. But they aren't about to go out and try killing the golden goose.

 

[MarcusRock]

Yeah but if we don’t blow the coverage on that last pass from Rodgers...If we hadn’t come out of the gate to start that game flat...if Heath could have stripped Rodgers on that blitz where he was untouched. We got some bad calls for sure. But we also blew a lot of opportunities to make plays.

Here's another one. Butler dropping a sure TD in the first half. While not getting called for a push-off. Lol.

 

[Hennessy_King]

But it wasn't though. This call wasn't made on Dallas vs. GB

This one was on a 3rd down when they were up big already and forced them out of a drive. Not called.

See, fans of their own teams have amnesia to things like these. Should both of these calls have been made?

yup but we don't know what would have happened. The fact that they called a hands to the face on Mo when it didn't happen that actually led to a td drive. If we go down this rabbit hole there are more plays I didn't even bring up.

 

[glimmerman]

Yeah but if we don’t blow the coverage on that last pass from Rodgers...If we hadn’t come out of the gate to start that game flat...if Heath could have stripped Rodgers on that blitz where he was untouched. We got some bad calls for sure. But we also blew a lot of opportunities to make plays.

I still don’t know how rogers held on to the ball. Scandrick saw it and was coming in, he would have scooped and scored on that play. I could see it develop. Then that last play. I still say Irving was held and put in a choke hold. Right in front of the ref. If that game goes to OT I think we win. I blame Marinelli, once he started coming after rogers we began shutting them down. And on that play he brings 3 people instead of forcing a quick pass or making him throw it away.

 

[Hennessy_King]

Here's another one. Butler dropping a sure TD in the first half. While not getting called for a push-off. Lol.

did we score on that drive? what was the end benefit to the cowboys that this call wasn't called?