wes_mantooth;531010 wrote:My only gripe with it is...why don't they just uncover the pile and see who had the ball just like they would on any other part of the field? Was it that they weren't paying attention because they ruled it a touchdown?

I'd imagine yes. It was ruled a touchdown so they didn't sort through the pile. Given the angle that the line judge had I can't blame him for calling it a TD either.

We had em all the way!

A win is a win is a win. This isn't college where you need style points. 5-1 is 5-1. Was pulling for Buffalo for the upset, but I'll take the outcome for the day. Cincy should be about ready to implode.

Frankly I thought Miami got the benefit of the calls throughout the game.

They let some obvious holding calls go against the Dolphins.

Not sure about that call at the end, it did look like several people had their arm on the ball underneath the pile.

Good stop anyway by the defense. Worilds made a big play. He's no Woodley but if he has to play I think we'll be ok there. Smith will be the big concern.

Appears to be some relief on the Steelers side and some pissed off Dolphins..

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20101024015

Miami can play the martyr role. We'll play the winner role.

I recall the NFL issuing the Steelers "apologies" for missed calls in the Wild Card game vs. the Jags a few years back.

And all I know is it still went in the books as a "W" for them and an "L" for us.

killer_ewok;531191 wrote:Miami can play the martyr role. We'll play the winner role.

Yeah, it kinda sounds like sour grapes.

wes_mantooth;531194 wrote:Yeah, it kinda sounds like sour grapes.

I can't blame them. Emotional game. Close call. I'd be pissed and sour too. All that matters is the "W" and the "L" though. That's how it goes.

It's not who comes out of the pile holding the ball.

The ball is down at the bottom of the pile and there were about eight guys with one arm on the ball.

Good officiating.

Although the fact that Steratore is from Washington, Pa (about 25 miles from Pittsburgh) doesn't help.

The chicken dinner was delicious!

Listening to the guys on primetime so I decided to watch the highlights for myself. The Steelers def caught a break, it looked like nothing but Dolphins jumping on that ball. Oh well, sometimes its better to be lucky than good. A win is a win.

Pittsburgh official handing another game to Pittsburgh? Nahhh....could never happen. BTW....might as well hand another bogus Lomabardi trophy to Pittspuke.

wes_mantooth;531010 wrote:My only gripe with it is...why don't they just uncover the pile and see who had the ball just like they would on any other part of the field? Was it that they weren't paying attention because they ruled it a touchdown?

Had the line judge not fucked up the call in the first place, then Pittspuke loses. Miami recovered the ball. To say that there was no indisputable evidence as to who recovered it is a joke. Another Steeler gift from a local official.

justincredible;531015 wrote:I'd imagine yes. It was ruled a touchdown so they didn't sort through the pile. Given the angle that the line judge had I can't blame him for calling it a TD either.

Also, they had blown the play dead when the side judge immediately raised his hands when the ball squirted across the goal line, and that was the big mistake on the field. So even if it was clear that Miami got the ball they couldn't give them possession since it was obtained well after the whistle blew to stop play. If they allow the results of the scrum that continued after the whistle blows, then the whistle will not ever stop play as players hope that something has happened before that will allow the fruits of their continuance to stand.

Now even if the Steelers clearly recovered before any scrum would it have stood. Isn't there a rule about only the fumbling player recovering for a TD, or is that just on 4th down.

Anyway the Miami fate was pretty much sealed when the ref blew the whistle prematurely and signaled a touchdown. From that point it was either going to be a TD or the Steelers ball on the one yard line. The refs did the best they good after the whistle was blown. Very similar situation to an inadvertent whistle, in fact that what it really turned out to be! There was a similar situation in college football yesterday when a punt fair catch was muffed, but the ref assumed he'd continue to make a successful catch and blew his whistle inadvertently. Once that is done, not much can be done to correct, or more properly see what would have happened if the play had been allowed to continue as it should have.

Footwedge;531263 wrote:Had the line judge not fucked up the call in the first place, then Pittspuke loses. Miami recovered the ball. To say that there was no indisputable evidence as to who recovered it is a joke. Another Steeler gift from a local official.

Where was the side judge from who immediately signaled touchdown? He's the one who sealed the fate.

wes_mantooth;531010 wrote:My only gripe with it is...why don't they just uncover the pile and see who had the ball just like they would on any other part of the field? Was it that they weren't paying attention because they ruled it a touchdown?

Thats my issue as well. It looked like there was nothing but Dolphins on that football. Take the time to uncover the pile and get it right

KR1245;531275 wrote:Thats my issue as well. It looked like there was nothing but Dolphins on that football. Take the time to uncover the pile and get it right

You can't go back and do that when you told them all to get up, it's a touchdown!

There were Steelers with their arms on the ball, as well.

Two Miami guys tried to jump on it but they kind of over played the recovery and then Legursky got his hand in and tied it up and Roethlisberger also got his hand back in there.

It wasn't clear who recovered it. Good call.

What is being lost in all of this is that the Dolphins had 2:19 to drive down the field to get into field goal range (~50 yards) to try and win the game and make the ruling moot. They didn't. It's not like the game ended once Pitt kicked the go ahead FG.

The Steelers also had three timeouts and two-minute warning with the score 22-20.

So they could've stopped them and had another chance to kick a FG.

Non;531300 wrote:There were Steelers with their arms on the ball, as well.

Two Miami guys tried to jump on it but they kind of over played the recovery and then Legursky got his hand in and tied it up and Roethlisberger also got his hand back in there.

It wasn't clear who recovered it. Good call.

Not a good call at all, because it was boogered up in the first place. Hell Pittsburgh may have recovered it...I don't know. My problem is that just like any other scrum in a pile....why not uncover the pile and make a decision just like they would on a kickoff fumble or any other kind of fumble. They make these rulings all the time. I honestly think that they made the call and then didn't pay attention to the football until it was too late...then you cannot review the possession/recovery of the football....it was a big clusterfuck.

But like others have said, if Miami does their job and gets into fieldgoal range...it doesnt matter.

Because the side judges view made it seem like a clear touchdown. Before they showed the replays from the goalpost viewpoint I was sure it was a touchdown with the fumble caused by the ground or at least after it broke the plane. That's what it looked like to the side judge, a clear touchdown. So he waves the play dead. You can't call the play dead and then look at a replay and say "oh, I was wrong" and then say "who picked the ball up after I called it dead? You, ok, your ball now."

Good officiating.

wes_mantooth;531319 wrote:I honestly think that they made the call and then didn't pay attention to the football until it was too late...then you cannot review the possession/recovery of the football....it was a big clusterfuck.

I do agree with that. I think they all assumed that he broke the plane and the loose ball was insignificant.

I was actually surprised he lost it after seeing the replays. In live action it looked like he stretched the ball across and then it got knocked out after.

It looked like a lot of different players had their arms on the ball and I think that would go to the offense. I think it was good officiating that they didn't assume Miami recovered when they really didn't know.

After seeing everything a few times I think the call was good. I'd say that no matter who it happened to.....but of course I'm a bangwagon jumping homer.

The TD call was incorrect and that is why replay is available. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, not enough evidence to give them the ball due to the whistle. Tough break, but it was the correct call. Rules is rules.

LOL at all Steeler fans saying it was "good officiating." The sideline judge BLEW the call. The ball was live. That is not good officiating.

Now, after their screw-up, they did the right thing, but thats just simply following the rules. But it was not "good officiating."