The NFL needs to do something about these refs

[KJJ]

Read theOP again, very little was talked about Cowboys games. I've been watching football since the 60's, there is something amis.

I didn’t read the OP, it was too long I just responded to the thread title. If you think there’s something amiss with the officiating, then don’t watch the games.

 

[Captain-Crash]

holding can be called on every play, it's used now to keep the game competitive and for gambling purposes. Like the NBA scandal. shrugs it is what it is.

 

[Jarv]

I didn’t read the OP, it was too long I just responded to the thread title. If you think there’s something amiss with the officiating, then don’t watch the games.

Thanks, that idea is actually under consideration here.

 

[KJJ]

Thanks, that idea is actually under consideration here.

Fans have been complaining about officiating ever since the game began which is what led to instant replay. With players getting bigger and faster and with all the many rule changes it’s made it more difficult to officiate games. It’s never going to be perfect so you might as well live with it. Any fan who thinks there’s some conspiracy going on and that games are fixed should find another sport to watch.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

With the rise of replay things have only gotten worse. I don’t understand having replay and slowing down the game only for certain calls. All it does is make fans and players more upset when obviously blown calls can’t be overturned.

Replay needs to be all or nothing. Either allow the overturning of any call, or don’t use replay at all.

The new rules for roughing the passer have also gotten totally out of hand. When rules start to come into conflict with the very nature of the game, you run into issues.

I have also always been quite mystified by offensive holding. When it is egregious, it should be called, but realistically holding can be called on nearly every play in the NFL. I always struggle to understand the rhyme and reason behind holding calls.

I agree with that, but I also wonder how much of the replay inconsistencies are due to either betting or due to the NFL not wanting to admit they're wrong on a play. For example, when they had Pi challenges allowed, I think the coaches actually got a lot of the challenges right, but they only overturned I think like 3 challenges. Why? Because the NFL didn't want to admit they were wrong. Replay can only work if the refs and replay officials are willing to admit they are wrong.

 

[Jarntt]

Every time we lose the refs did a crappy job. Maybe it isn't the refs? It comes off as excuse making and whining. Maybe we need to stop having more penalties than the other team and the refs will call less penalties against us??
Now if you want to take up the topic of Lane Johnson moving early on almost every snap and it not being called, I'm all ears

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

I agree with that, but I also wonder how much of the replay inconsistencies are due to either betting or due to the NFL not wanting to admit they're wrong on a play. For example, when they had Pi challenges allowed, I think the coaches actually got a lot of the challenges right, but they only overturned I think like 3 challenges. Why? Because the NFL didn't want to admit they were wrong. Replay can only work if the refs and replay officials are willing to admit they are wrong.

Yeah, exactly, but I also think replay is useless when it comes to rules with as much ambiguity as holding, PI, roughing, etc which is why I would advocate for just eliminating the entire replay system or actually improving the replay decision making system and empowering a third part office at NFL HQ to override calls.

Another issue: the fact that the NFL won’t even overrule the most obviously blown calls when they are reviewed indicates that penalties, and the rulebook in general, really don’t mean anything. If there is no workable baseline for what is/isn’t legal, and there does not even have to be an objective basis for why they are called.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

Every time we lose the refs did a crappy job. Maybe it isn't the refs? It comes off as excuse making and whining. Maybe we need to stop having more penalties than the other team and the refs will call less penalties against us??
Now if you want to take up the topic of Lane Johnson moving early on almost every snap and it not being called, I'm all ears

Brother, no one here is blaming Dallas’ losses on the refs. This is just a general discussion about poor NFL officiating as it pertains to the whole league.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Yeah, exactly, but I also think replay is useless when it comes to rules with as much ambiguity as holding, PI, roughing, etc which is why I would advocate for just eliminating the entire replay system or actually improving the replay decision making system and empowering a third part office at NFL HQ to override calls.

I do think the NFL should simplify some of the rules. For example, they should finally make clear what is a catch. I think simplifying the rules would make things easier. In fairness to the refs, the rules in the NFL can be very convoluted.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Every time we lose the refs did a crappy job. Maybe it isn't the refs? It comes off as excuse making and whining. Maybe we need to stop having more penalties than the other team and the refs will call less penalties against us??
Now if you want to take up the topic of Lane Johnson moving early on almost every snap and it not being called, I'm all ears

Please read the OP. I made it very clear that I wasn't talking about the SFO game. Plus, I did talk about the early tackle jumps in it. I think if you read my OP, you will find some of your objections there

 

[Cowboys5217]

They are one of the NFL's favorites.
A friend of mine texts me every Sunday, how the NFL is rigged. Especially for certain teams.
He says Dallas need to be better than their opponents PLUS the refs to get further than they have.

He believes they are setting it up to be a SF / KC SB game.

They used to get babied by the refs during the Montana and Young years. Only teams that got more ref love over the years are the Packers and Steelers.

 

[DandyDon52]

I know it seems ridiculous to talk about after our defeat, but this is to do with not just our game
This is a problem that exists outside of just our team. The NFL needs to do something about these refs. I am not saying that the league is rigged. However, with sports betting the way it is, I can see that by some would think it. I just think that the quality of officiating needs improving. Here are 3 examples.

Chiefs @ Jets - the officiating this game was quite poor. They botched the call that should have been a facemask on the Jets, then later botched a defencive hold that bailed out the Chiefs. Oh, and on the play where Mahomes ran for about 13 yards on 3rd and 13, they missed what appeared to be a hold on the tackle. The defensive hold that they called on Sauce Gardner bailed out the Chiefs because the Jets had an interception. Plus, especially with what they picked up in a later example, this was ridiculous. I think the Jets had every right to be upset.

Cowboys @ Cardinals - the officiating was poor on both sides of the ball, however, I think they missed at least one or two DPIs or holds in the endzone. Especially on the 4th down play where Gallup was held in the end zone. Oh, and that last extra point missed, but they counted it. Doesn't excuse how poor the Cowboys were that game, and they missed a few calls on us. However, it was worth pointing out.

Chiefs @ Vikings - the picked up flag on what was as blatant a DPI/hold as you can get was ridiculous. I'm not sure the Vikings win anyway because of who they were playing, but that was a completely botched call that changed what could have been. (amazing how the Chiefs have benefited from two late blown calls)

Aside from these games, I've noticed that a lot of tackles are getting away with jumping the snap early and not getting called for a false start. Also, there are plenty of occasions where it seems that holding is still unevenly enforced on multiple teams. Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, and several others should make it very clear to the refs and league how often they are being held without a call.

These are three examples this season, and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples this season. These are just three that were late in games that were key blown calls. I know being a referee is a hard job, but I still don't understand why the NFL can't have full time referees. I think the game would be better if the referees were full time referees who could hone their craft. It's an important job that has to be done properly. I think the league is setting these officials up for failure with how they are employed ATM. If they were full time, then they could use the offseason to hone their craft and be better able to identify tactics that players use that are penalties (such as the early jumps). Every other major league has them, and this includes the CFL.

I also think all penalties should be reviewed. Maybe not necessarily by way of challenge, but the booth, especially in a key situation such as PI, should be able to get involved if there is such an instance. The CFL allows coaches to challenge pass interference. I know it didn't work so well last time the NFL tried it, but I argue that the coaches were often correct. However, the league didn't want to admit they were wrong. I think that the league should allow all penalties to be reviewed. Otherwise, you could have a very questionable call that changes the course of a game. I think, if the coaches could challenge PI, that the Vikings situation would have been clearly PI and the Vikings would have won the challenge. I also think roughing the passer should be reviewable considering how soft some of the calls are. These are some things that I think that the league could do to help the referees.

been seeing this for years, and I came to conclusion the nfl wants it this way, so then it is up to u to answer the next question which is why??
If games are manipulated, it doesnt have to be about wins and losses. it is about the points, the over under etc.
Do refs have someone in their ear telling them to call certain penaltys?? that would explain the late calls we sometimes see, and also the
ones where flags get picked up, like the one in the dallas detroit playoff game few years back where it was obvious there was pass intf, but it gets picked up.

Then there are all the rule changes, points of emphasis calls lol, rules that make it harder for refs to make good calls, like the catch rules.
But for whatever reasons the nfl likes it like this.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

been seeing this for years, and I came to conclusion the nfl wants it this way, so then it is up to u to answer the next question which is why??
If games are manipulated, it doesnt have to be about wins and losses. it is about the points, the over under etc.
Do refs have someone in their ear telling them to call certain penaltys?? that would explain the late calls we sometimes see, and also the
ones where flags get picked up, like the one in the dallas detroit playoff game few years back where it was obvious there was pass intf, but it gets picked up.

Then there are all the rule changes, points of emphasis calls lol, rules that make it harder for refs to make good calls, like the catch rules.
But for whatever reasons the nfl likes it like this.

It certainly seems to be the case, but I'm not sure why either.

 

[Beast_from_East]

They are one of the NFL's favorites.
A friend of mine texts me every Sunday, how the NFL is rigged. Especially for certain teams.
He says Dallas need to be better than their opponents PLUS the refs to get further than they have.

He believes they are setting it up to be a SF / KC SB game.

The problem I have with "the league is rigged; the refs are told which team to make sure wins" is that the people making the accusations are not filthy rich.

I mean, if you truly believe the league is rigged and you think certain teams are "allowed to win" every week like the Chiefs, 49ers, Eagles, etc....

Then why are these people not betting their life savings on these games

They should be living in mansions and driving imported sports cars with the money they could make betting on games that are already predetermined, right?

 

[plasticman]

At the end of each game the stadium crowd gets to vote for the worse game official. The official then has five minutes to determine the body part to be severed.

When the official can no longer throw a flag, it's mandatory retirement.

 

[SlammedZero]

Full time refs and more use of technology would be a good way to try to solve the problem.

I definitely agree with using more technology. We have robots on Mars, yet we are still using a chain to measure 10 yards in a billion dollar sports league. Lol

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I definitely agree with using more technology. We have robots on Mars, yet we are still using a chain to measure 10 yards in a billion dollar sports league. Lol

Exactly, surely we can use more technology in football.

 

[G2]

Fans have been complaining about officiating ever since the game began which is what led to instant replay. With players getting bigger and faster and with all the many rule changes it’s made it more difficult to officiate games. It’s never going to be perfect so you might as well live with it. Any fan who thinks there’s some conspiracy going on and that games are fixed should find another sport to watch.

It's not black and white. There are annoying fans that constantly whine about "everyone and their conspiracies against Dallas." Then, there are actual fans who believe the refs are against Dallas.
Then there are normal functioning fans, who simply understand the human error element of it and think the league could do WAY better. The refs suck. They're inconsistent, can't keep up w/ game speed there's so much nonsense to judge it slows the game.
Doesn't mean it's a conspiracy. League wide, refs are terrible.

 

[Flamma]

The refs are absolute trash. The NFL needs to make the job a lucrative full time job. That's how you draw in the younger talent. Not these old fools who can't run or see.

I saw a few cases where a woman ref was spotting the ball from the sideline. As she ran up the sideline I was sure she spotted it wrong. When I saw the replay, it was spot on. I have no idea how she saw that at full speed. I'm guessing it was because she wasn't 69 years old.

 

[dreghorn2]

Network TV money drives the league, there is nothing more important than that revenue.

Ratings determine how much money the networks make, advertisers pay more for higher viewership.

Take a look at some of the major ad buyers on a typical NFL game and notice how often Chiefs players, as an example, are doing national ads for multiple different brands.

As an advertiser you would damn well want to see that your money was being spent wisely and the players you were investing in would get a LOT of exposure. As a network you would damn well want to have the highest ratings possible.

You would be a fool to spend BILLIONS of dollars on a business and not expect that return to be one where you would be given, consideration we'll call it, for your investment.

If the Swift-Kelce partnership stays intact it's going to take injuries or some team overcoming a hailstorm of flags to come out of the AFC this year.

Jerry is loved and hated by the league. He has brought them increased revenues but i doubt he will ever be forgiven for his separate franchising deal and attempt to ouster Goodell.

And the gambling angle can never be understated when it comes to the NFL.