A couple of close games this weekend, neither one ending as I wanted it to. The Iowa outcome was somewhat foreseeable; Ohio State is a solid team, Iowa playing on the road with a backup QB; things like that tend to catch up with you over time. But the Cowboys? Come on! The Packers made them look downright pedestrian.
I'm not certain that we gave the Packers enough credit before the game. Lambeau is a hard place to play no matter how bad the Packers supposedly are. But I thought the Cowboys would be able to play a little better than that. I spent most of the game on my feet, hat in hand, frustrated and ready to throw something. My first reaction is to blame the officiating, but I know that it wouldn't matter if not for injuries and the chronic inability of Roy Williams to catch the ball and hold on to it. Dropped TD pass, fumble in the middle of the field. Not so much not being on the same page with Romo as your hands not being on the same page with the rest of your body.
That being said, just one word about officiating, and replay review in general. We need to be clear about what can be reviewed and what can't be reviewed. The referee said that a fumble recovery is not reviewable by replay. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman modified that slightly, saying that a fumble recovery can only be reviewed if it is in the end zone, because then points are at stake. I'm not sure if they were totally correct in that assessment, but I'm fairly certain that the inability to review that play cost the Cowboys 7 points. Where it occurs on the field should not be an issue. At the very least, every play ought to be reviewable. What's the worst that can happen? The whole "insufficient video evidence" thing? I may be biased, but I thought replay clearly showed that Felix Jones had possession of the ball while he was sitting on the ground, he was touched by an opposing player, then had the ball ripped out of his arms and recovered by a Packer. Not sure what is "not reviewable" about something like that.
And one more point against the officials, something which may not have affected the final outcome of the game but still needs to be clarified. Back when Bill Parcells was the coach of the Cowboys, late in the game he was out of challenges (it might have been after the two minute warning when every play is reviewed by the booth official). There was a close play, and Bill wanted to make sure that the play was reviewed, so he threw out a challenge flag. The referee blew the whistle, stopped the game, consulted with the other officials, and then threw a penalty flag against Parcells for either unsportsmanlike conduct or delay of game for throwing a challenge flag when he did not have the ability to challenge the call.
Fast forward to today's game, 4th quarter, and Mike McCarthy is out of challenges. Patrick Crayton catches a ball close to the ground, and it is ruled a catch. McCarthy throws the challenge flag. The referee stops the game and goes toward the hood to watch the replay. It is only then that another official points out that the Packers are out of challenges. So the referee walks over to McCarthy, reminds him that he is out of challenges, then reminds the crowd of the same fact. Play resumes as if nothing is wrong. In my mind, challenging a play when you legally can't do it constitutes at least a delay of game, the same way as if a player spikes the ball at the end of a play. It could also be considered unsportsmanlike conduct. In McCarthy's case, he succeeded in giving his defense a chance to catch its breath, also stopping some of the momentum that the Cowboys had going for them on a drive with about 7 minutes left in the game. Add fifteen yards to the end of that catch by Crayton or allow the Cowboys to run up to the line and catch the defense on its heels.
Like I said, it probably wouldn't have affected the final outcome of the game. But there is nothing that sticks with me quite as much as inequality when it comes to calling a game.
The best way to fix this situation? Perhaps a better way would be to run the replay rules like they do in college football. Every play is reviewed by a replay official in the booth, who signals to the referee a stoppage in play. If a coach thinks a play should be reviewed, they have the option to throw a challenge flag. If they are right, they keep the flag. If they are wrong, it is taken away. After that the coach must use timeouts. In any case, it is up to the replay official whether or not to review a play. A superior system to the flawed NFL system. At least it ought to be clear which plays are reviewable, and what the penalty is if you try to challenge when you know you can't.
Life will go on. The Cowboys get the Redskins and the Raiders next. Iowa will still be playing in a bowl game. But it is a tough weekend to be the Sports Pastor. Hey, at least the Mavericks won. Tomorrow night, the Mavericks are playing on NBA TV. I'll get to watch them for the first time this year. It's against the Bucks. If there are any Wisconsinites reading this, you should relish the Packer victory. The Bucks will not be so fortunate.
Until next time,
The Sports Pastor
