Guys,
I know that last Sunday's games are "history" and that it's time to move on to the Super Bowl, but since we've got nearly two weeks to wait for the next REAL football game, I believe there's till some time early TW for some post-mortems" on last Sunday's games, the non-competitiveness of which sure was disappointing, especially the GB-Atlanta game, which I thought would be a very close, high-scoring (by BOTH teams) “barn-burner.” But it seemed like the Packers were “snake bit” from the start, and things just kept getting worse as the game progressed, although I was surprised that not only did their best WR (Jordy Nelson) play with two cracked ribs, but he actually performed well (and fortunately avoided further injury).
In another post earlier today, I laid much of the blame of Pitt's blowout loss to NE on two factors - (I) the HUGE home/road dichotomy between Pitt's performance at home, where they are typically great, and their offense is virtually unstoppable when their "big 3" offensive performers (obviously Big Ben at QB, Leveon Bell at RB, and Antonio Brown at WR) are all healthy and on the field, but just average on the road, especially in big games against good teams, and (ii) Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin and his ill-conceived defensive strategy, which was also very poorly executed by his personnel.
But here I want to focus on a key series of events surrounding one crucial "swing play" early in the GB-Atlanta game which IMO put the final nail in Packers' coffin in their brutal, season-ending playoff loss, AND see if any of you can tell me if I am missing something in criticizing both the refs for how they called that play and GB coach McCarthy for not challenging the call. I believe that most of you will agree with me that the major turning point of that game, in two respects, was the Packers’ lost fumble deep in Atlanta territory, with GB then trailing 10-0, and still very much “in the game,” especially if they had scored a TD on that drive. And it was not only a player miscue, but IMO a MAJOR COACHING “BRAIN FART” by GB coach McCarthy, who refused to challenge the call of a touchback after the fumble recovery by Atlanta, rather than awarding GB with a safety and two points and the ball (after receiving a kick by Atlanta from their 20 yard line), or not at least making Atlanta start their possession after the fumble recovery with the ball on the one foot line, where they recovered the fumble, rather on the 20 yard line (after ruling the fumble recovery a touchback). And even if the Atlanta player who recovered the fumble was not touched by a GB player until after he had rolled from the point of recovery (again, the one foot line) into the end zone, why was it then not ruled a safety? That not only would have given GB two points, but also would have given GB and Aaron Rodgers another immediate possession of the ball, in good field position (forcing Atlanta to kick off or punt to them, from their own 20 yard line)? And if GB would have gotten the ball back immediately under those circumstances, I believe it could and would have been a much closer and more entertaining game. I’m quite sure there is no NFL rule allowing a player to recover a fumble near to the goal line but clearly in the field of play, and then retreat into the end zone (by running, walking, rolling, whatever) before he is tackled by an opposing player in the end zone or he downs the ball in the end zone, and have that sequence of events be called a touchback, with his team awarded the ball on the 20 yard line (instead of it being called either a safety or down at the point of recovery).
The refs' call and non-challenge by GB on that key play did not affect me too much, betting -wise, as most of my plays on the game involved player props, and I did not have any strong feeling about backing either side (very hard to go against either), although I liked and played the Over, despite the high playoff line of 61, which play fortunately won, although barely, thanks to Atlanta's relentless offense and GB's banged up defense and mediocre secondary, despite GB's offense being much less productive than expected.
But again, am I missing something in criticizing both the refs for how they called that play and GB coach McCarthy for not challenging the call? Thanks in advance for your expected feedback on this, guys.
Great Owl