Are You Ready for Some Football - Week 14

[Ned]

Here is the play by play. Note that Seattle runs two running plays between Baltimore timeouts and uses only 20 seconds of clock. The clock must have stopped after the first running play. Why?

Seattle at 01:12
Kickoff returned by Alex Bannister (SEA) for 0 yards.
1-10 at BAL 42 Shaun Alexander (SEA) rushed for 6 yards.
2-4 at BAL 36 Baltimore timeout; 01:04 remaining 4th quarter
2-4 at BAL 36 Shaun Alexander (SEA) rushed for 3 yards.
3-1 at BAL 33 Shaun Alexander (SEA) rushed for no gain.
4-1 at BAL 33 Baltimore timeout; 00:44 remaining 4th quarter
4-1 at BAL 33 Matt Hasselbeck (SEA) rushed for no gain; turnover on downs.
Baltimore at 00:39
1-10 at BAL 33 Anthony Wright (BAL) pass incomplete
2-10 at BAL 33 44 yard penalty on Seattle.
1-10 at SEA 23 Jamal Lewis (BAL) rushed for 7 yards.
2-3 at SEA 16 5 yard penalty on Baltimore.
2-8 at SEA 21 40 yard field goal by Matt Stover (BAL) is good.
End of the 4th quarter.

[badams52]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1669790

Monday, November 24, 2003
Ravens turned critical extra time into win

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- An officiating blunder Sunday gave Baltimore critical extra time in its fourth-quarter comeback victory over Seattle, the NFL said Monday.

NFL supervisor of officials Mike Pereira said both the 40-second clock and the game clock should have been restarted after an officials' conference over a penalty call with 58 seconds left in regulation. The Seahawks had the ball and led 41-38.

Because the clock wasn't started, the Ravens had 39 seconds left instead of 4 or 5 when they got the ball back on downs at the Baltimore 33.

They ended up tying the game on Matt Stover's field goal following a key 44-yard pass interference penalty. Baltimore won 44-41 in overtime.

"The clock was not started at the proper time, which was an administrative error by the officiating crew," Pereira said in a statement.

An NFL official told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the league is reviewing possible disciplinary action for referee Tom White's crew. The action could include fines and/or suspensions for the game officials involved.

Ravens coach Brian Billick conceded that his team benefited from the mistake by White's crew.

"There was, I believe, an administrative error in there, in that the clock should have been wound more quickly," Billick said.

The mistake came after the clock stopped with 58 seconds left when head linesman Ed Camp threw a penalty flag. He thought offensive tackle Floyd Womack lined up as an ineligible receiver for Seattle on a second-down play on which Shaun Alexander gained 3 yards to the Baltimore 33.

The Ravens called their final timeout at that time, but the clock was stopped for the officials' conference in which it was determined Womack had reported as eligible. The flag was picked up.

Pereira said the conference negated Baltimore's timeout, leaving the Ravens with one more.

But he said the officials erred in not restarting the game clock and play game clock after the conference. If they had, Baltimore would have been forced to take its final timeout or let the clock run down by 40 seconds or more.

Instead, the clocked remained stopped until the next play started: a run for no gain by Alexander on third-and-1. That allowed the Ravens to use their last timeout with 44 seconds left.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck carried for no gain on fourth-and-1, and the clock stopped automatically for a change of possession. Baltimore got the ball back with 39 seconds left and mounted the tying drive.

"It got a little confusing," said Billick, who was fined $15,000 earlier in the season for criticizing the officials.

"The official threw the flag because he wasn't aware that 77 [Womack] reported. That's standard procedure. That stopped the clock. We expected that the clock would then be restarted and were prepared to call the timeout.

"But as they were getting it done, the clock wasn't starting. I thought, let them run that and then we'll call timeout."

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren knows how important the defeat could be. Seattle is 7-4, in the thick of the playoff race.

"It's hard. It's like losing a game on a Hail Mary deal," he said. "You're pretty sure your game is won and then it's lost.

"Not to mention the extenuating circumstances in the memos we received today. I almost wish that wasn't part of it, but that's also part of it."

Holmgren, a former chairman of the league's competition committee, refused to criticize White and his crew.

"I appreciate the league being very candid about it," he said. "Nothing changes, but we had chances as a team. It had nothing to do with the officials. We had chances and we just didn't do it when we needed to do it, and it ended up biting us."

What's done is done. There's no going back really, and there's no real reason to change the W-L for either team. This case is easier since Seattle had plenty of opportunities to win and just didn't and you can't really blame the refs for one mistake.

I think it goes with the territory that refs make mistakes. If you lose because of it, tough nuggies. Teams have ample chances to win during the game itself and one blown call shouldn't be called the reason why a team lost. They had many other chances to win the game.

[Imran Siddiqui]

But, what do you guys think about such calls that the league admits they blew and which decided the game - for certain. Should the score revert to the moment of the bad decision and the win be given to the other team?

No... bad calls happen all the time in games. You can't replay all of them.

[Ming]

Another Sunday... and MORE football

[Dis]

Colts suck

[ixnay]

Vikings get STOMPED by the Rams
Ravens DESTROY the 49ers
Bengals come back against the Steelers to stay even with Baltimore

And the Pats make a tremendous goal-line stand in the final minute against the Colts to prevent an Indy comeback.

All in all, a good day so far.

Oh, and how about those Bears? All of a sudden they're two games back in the NFC North. If the Pack can't win the division (though I'm sure they will, with how the Vikes got thumped today), I certainly would rather see the Bears coming from nowhere to take the division than the Vikings winning it.

[Dis]

why didn't the 49rs start Ratay?

[Ned]

Last week I said the Bears could make the playoffs if they won out. No one thought that this was possible. But this win today was totally one-sided. The Bear defense right now is among the best in the NFL making their comeback possible.

They have a rough closing schedule including being at Green Bay next week and closing the season in KC. But, if they do win out, they deserve to be in the playoffs.

[Ming]

If the Bears win the Central Division... it will just prove how bad the division is. The Vikings are looking worse every week... The Pack sucks if Green doesn't score...
And isn't Detroit still in the hunt...

They all suck... But at least the Bears have beaten every team they've played in the AFC West... BRING ON KANSAS CITY

[Ned]

Ming, if the Bears close it out, they will have won six in a row. That does not suck.

[Ming]

With the exception of Denver... who have the Bears beaten... NOBODY. They suck. But yeah, IF they win out... then I will think better of them. But they still have a lot to prove...

[badams52]

Hey, I resent that. Denver's a nobody too!

[Dis]

I gotta agree with Ming. Aside from Denver, Chicago hasn't beaten anybody worth mentioning.

[Dis]

Michael Vick is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I bemoaned earlier in this thread how much I hated how one man is given so much attention, yet he does bring alot to the game, but I still don't think it's a good thing.

[ixnay]

Stick a fork in them, the Bucs are DONE.