Umpire was out of position

[Zekeats]

One would think if I’m gonna be the HC or OC or QB, maybe, just maybe one of them would’ve thought to let the ref know so he could be in hurry up with the line. That play didn’t lose the game for them but it didn’t allow them a chance to win. Poor clock management and a poorly coached penalized team yet again.

 

[Canada180]

I know there’s a zillion threads about this, but I haven’t seen this posted.

I was in section C312 and I had a perfect view of the final seconds. My friend, seated next to me, was recording those last sections on his cell phone.

Yeah, it probably wasn’t the best play call but what I can tell you is that there was plenty of time still on the clock when Dak slid. He didn’t do anything wrong with the ball. There’s one referee who is charged with placing it.

Now you can call this conspiratal, you can say that this particular referee was daydreaming or maybe he just never expected a QB draw, but he was 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage when the play started and he stayed there until the moment that Dak slid.

Then, and only then, did he start sprinting toward the line to spot the ball. I watched this with my own eyes. No matter what Dak did with the ball or who he handed it to, there was a snowball’s chance in inferno that his referee was going to get there in time. None.

So go ahead and blame Kellen Moore. And trust me, I’m not one to say the fix was in. But the game was a comedy of errors by the officials and that ball should have been spotted with enough time for one more play call.

Remember one more thing:

There were controversial outcomes in the games against both the Raiders and Cardinals. If Dallas wins one of those games, they were playing Philly yesterday. If they win both, they had a bye week.

I get it - play well enough that the outcome can’t come down to a play decided by the referees. OK. But we were robbed yesterday, pure and simple.

Flame away.

Make no mistake about it...We were robbed of an opportunity to royally screw up another play

 

[Sydla]

He actually did something wrong with the ball. He gave it to the Center to snap it, instead of looking for the ref and saying “here is the ball, we are already lined up and your wasting time”..

at least then they could have cried about it.

Dak’s explanation in the OC shows he still doesn’t get it. He says he spiked the ball. But that has zero to do with the issue, which is, you gave it to the center to hike it to you, when the ref is supposed to set the ball. This is what he said:



He then says,



Sounds like he’s making stuff up. First he says he’s not even sure what happened, then he says an umpire usually just taps it (sure Buddy), then he says he knew the ref was going to touch the ball…

Not to defend Dak, but this is the same thing McCarthy said. It's possible McCarthy was coaching these guys incorrectly in this situation. McCarthy seemed perplexed as well about the whole situation with regards to handing the ball to the official, etc.

What a cluster%%%%.

 

[fivetwos]

Who really thinks we score on the next play anyway?

I certainly don't.

 

[Hagman]

We were not robbed by a 50 year old official. We were robbed by an idiot 58 year old coach who called a run up the middle with 14 seconds left and no outs.

 

[31RoyW31]

I know there’s a zillion threads about this, but I haven’t seen this posted.

I was in section C312 and I had a perfect view of the final seconds. My friend, seated next to me, was recording those last sections on his cell phone.

Yeah, it probably wasn’t the best play call but what I can tell you is that there was plenty of time still on the clock when Dak slid. He didn’t do anything wrong with the ball. There’s one referee who is charged with placing it.

Now you can call this conspiratal, you can say that this particular referee was daydreaming or maybe he just never expected a QB draw, but he was 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage when the play started and he stayed there until the moment that Dak slid.

Then, and only then, did he start sprinting toward the line to spot the ball. I watched this with my own eyes. No matter what Dak did with the ball or who he handed it to, there was a snowball’s chance in inferno that his referee was going to get there in time. None.

So go ahead and blame Kellen Moore. And trust me, I’m not one to say the fix was in. But the game was a comedy of errors by the officials and that ball should have been spotted with enough time for one more play call.

Remember one more thing:

There were controversial outcomes in the games against both the Raiders and Cardinals. If Dallas wins one of those games, they were playing Philly yesterday. If they win both, they had a bye week.

I get it - play well enough that the outcome can’t come down to a play decided by the referees. OK. But we were robbed yesterday, pure and simple.

Flame away.

I noticed the umpire a few times in the first half (the umpire is the one who spots the ball). I never notice the umpire, but he just seemed to be slow marking the ball and getting out of the way all day. So when the last play happened I wasn't surprised that he was not in the area when DAK slid. Dallas did not play well, and I didn't like running the ball there, but that doesn't mean the refs have to prevent Dallas from having a chance to escape with a win.

 

[sunalsorises]

He actually did something wrong with the ball. He gave it to the Center to snap it, instead of looking for the ref and saying “here is the ball, we are already lined up and your wasting time”..

at least then they could have cried about it.

Dak’s explanation in the OC shows he still doesn’t get it. He says he spiked the ball. But that has zero to do with the issue, which is, you gave it to the center to hike it to you, when the ref is supposed to set the ball. This is what he said:



He then says,



Sounds like he’s making stuff up. First he says he’s not even sure what happened, then he says an umpire usually just taps it (sure Buddy), then he says he knew the ref was going to touch the ball…

Most likely when they practice this Dak just gives it to the center and the team hustles to line up. Unless McCarthy brought in an old man to be the ref for this drill I’m guessing they don’t simulate the ref touching the ball.

 

[Jarntt]

It was dumb. There is no other way around it. In a perfect world they would have gotten the snap off in time and the umpire definitely didn't play it right, but you don't plan on things working out perfectly in that situation. Because it worked in practice they think it will work as smoothly in the chaos of a playoff game with the clock running down? All it took was one player laying on Dak for a second or two or one offensive player not set and it's dead even in the umpire was there waiting.

Honestly the odds of completing a pass in the end zone there even if we did get another play were of course incredibly slim but give yourself a chance. The fact is we wasted so many precious seconds throughout that game and that play was just one example - just the final one of course. i'm sure this was mentioned a thousand times on here in other threads but that formation with the punt team on the field after the fake punt just screamed how stupid our coaches are. McCarthy's logic was to make them waste a TO? Really? They were winning and the clock was our biggest enemy. Even if they used a TO, who cares. TOs were meaningless to them. But those seconds we ran off the clock pretending to be smart were devastating.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I know there’s a zillion threads about this, but I haven’t seen this posted.

I was in section C312 and I had a perfect view of the final seconds. My friend, seated next to me, was recording those last sections on his cell phone.

Yeah, it probably wasn’t the best play call but what I can tell you is that there was plenty of time still on the clock when Dak slid. He didn’t do anything wrong with the ball. There’s one referee who is charged with placing it.

Now you can call this conspiratal, you can say that this particular referee was daydreaming or maybe he just never expected a QB draw, but he was 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage when the play started and he stayed there until the moment that Dak slid.

Then, and only then, did he start sprinting toward the line to spot the ball. I watched this with my own eyes. No matter what Dak did with the ball or who he handed it to, there was a snowball’s chance in inferno that his referee was going to get there in time. None.

So go ahead and blame Kellen Moore. And trust me, I’m not one to say the fix was in. But the game was a comedy of errors by the officials and that ball should have been spotted with enough time for one more play call.

Remember one more thing:

There were controversial outcomes in the games against both the Raiders and Cardinals. If Dallas wins one of those games, they were playing Philly yesterday. If they win both, they had a bye week.

I get it - play well enough that the outcome can’t come down to a play decided by the referees. OK. But we were robbed yesterday, pure and simple.

Flame away.

100% correct. But the Dak haters don't want to hear this truth.

 

[losersgetcute]

The run moved the chains, the clock should stop until the ref sets it...or the refs should have to run a sub 5.0 40 time. I hope I've watched my last old, slow, sweaty zebra blow what might've been a clutch moment.

 

[SultanOfSix]

This was purely the ref’s fault. I think Dak sucked yesterday, but Dak does not have to find the ref and hand the ball to him. Besides, he was nowhere to be found. It is the ref’s responsibility to be on top of the speed of the game and be in position when plays like this happen. All Dak needed to do was place the ball and ref come in and tap it, or be responsible for positioning the ball if it is incorrect. There was nine seconds when Dak finished his slide. That was enough football time to get another play off. Even Romo thought it was in response to Nantz until he started talking about Dak should’ve handed the ball to the ref.

The team didn’t lose because of this, but that has zero to do with what should have happened in this scenario.

 

[JJHLH1]

The ref should be booted from the playoffs just like we were.

 

[dogberry]

I kinda like the play Rodgers ran against us in Dax’s first year for a positioning pass.

Also, I’ve been waiting for an offense to get a delay penalty while the refs hold up play for the defense to get in place.

 

[buddahjoe445]

people are forgetting the throw from Dak on fourth down. I know he was on the run but Wilson was wide open. It was a terrible throw. a decent throw would been caught. most QBs make a better throw on that play. He was running to his right so it shouldn't have been a hard throw.

 

[DogFace]

We shouldn't have been in a POSITION where we had to leave it in the hands of the refs.

Yes. But we were. All pros need to do their job regardless of what other pros do or don’t do. They need full time accountable refs.

 

[khiladi]

I completely change my opinion on this and say the ref completely botched it.



1. Romo said the empire only had to touch the ball before the snap. This is correct. In fact @DOUBLE WING provided a GIF from the Cowboys-Rams game from the past showing how a touch is sufficient.

2. If you go to around 50 seconds, what actually screwed the Cowboys was the ref re-spotting the ball, only to place it back where Biadasz had already set it. It’s that DELAY which looks like it caused the time to run out.

So the ref completely botched it

 

[Swagger]

people are forgetting the throw from Dak on fourth down. I know he was on the run but Wilson was wide open. It was a terrible throw. a decent throw would been caught. most QBs make a better throw on that play. He was running to his right so it shouldn't have been a hard throw.

Romo described it as an "Amazing throw!"

 

[khiladi]

Romo described it as an "Amazing throw!"

Another beautiful throw was the pick by Jimmy, doing what every 49er feared he would do.. sailing it like 4 feet above the wide open WR to put Dallas on scoring position to even make the game relevant..

 

[Swagger]

Another beautiful throw was the pick by Jimmy….

 

[buddahjoe445]

Romo described it as an "Amazing throw!"

Romo also said Dak was a smart and accurate QB. Romo has to say certain things he doesn't believe. Just like any announcer. Watch the play again and you will see how bad the throw was. It was not a long pass.