I also have a problem with calling it an interception. It looked like a completed pass. AB had possession of the ball and took a step. The turnover (if that is what the correct call is) should be a fumble on AB.

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2. I suppose I agree with Tomlin. You’ve got a HOF quarterback, a HOF wide receiver, an all-pro halfback, and a potential pro-bowl WR2. Just get the ball downed with a little breathing room and let the offense do its thing.

3. I liked it BECAUSE it was a little poke at Lewis (and the Ravens traditional attitude). I’m not a big TD/Sack-dance guy, but I do appreciate it when a blowhard who choreographs a dance routine gets punked. Hines Ward used to do that stuff sometimes too — if you were a dancing show-off, and he scored against your team, he’d do YOUR dance. I always appreciated that.
Shazier’s thing was a little weird, since Lewis retired so long ago, so maybe the message was “now I’m the best ILB in the division.” Or maybe the Balt crowd was trash-talking him, and it was a jab at them. Who knows. I had no problem with it though.

4. I suspect it happens a lot. Anyone who freelances either leaves an opening for the enemy, or has a buddy on the team who’s got his back. Polamalu & Clark were great for that. On offense, it’s Ben & AB (who will sometimes make eye contact and know the other’s move). I’m glad Tuitt and Dupree have that chemistry too.

5. This doesn’t seem as mysterious to me as a lot of people are saying. I think Belichick doesn’t give his players a lot of leeway to freelance — they “do their jobs,” remember? — so there’s no reason anyone else on the team NEEDS to have chemistry with anyone else. So, as long as you can play disciplined and stick to your job, he can plug you in and everything will work.
It’s a philosophy issue, it seems to me. I mean, the Patriots have never had an attacking defense. Even when they were a really strong unit (early 2000s) they still weren’t particularly aggressive. They stayed in their lanes, individually, and waited for you to screw up. Occasionally they’ve had single guys who would jump a pass route or something, but it seems to me like those are usually cornerbacks playing man-to-man and gambling. Everyone else stays in their lane and tackles. If I’m disciplined and focused and always in my zone, and I believe that you are too (again: “do your job” means “don’t worry about what the guy next to you is doing”), then I don’t need chemistry with you — I just need to worry about my thing.
I think that’s also how he’s always been able to change the game plan so dramatically every week: no one has to know too much, so they get their assignments for the week and stay in their lanes. Belichick knows the whole story, but the left defensive end just needs to know the general plan, and key in on his own assignment.

Bonus: The whole “keep the game close” thing is pretty troubling. I don’t know if I buy it, but it might be that I don’t want to buy it. I hope he’s mistaken.

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2. I guess I agree with his assessment about Tomlin in that is among the least of his concerns, but he has attempted to get a good kick returner. I feel like there have been some players picked up that were known to be good kick returners. It’s just their play at their main positions weren’t enough. As to a player, I like mtsnot’s suggestion of Hilton.

3. When it comes to player celebrations, I’m mostly indifferent, but sometimes a player will do one that cracks me up. Shazier cracked me up.

4. Sure, chemistry between teammates, particularly in football is huge. But that doesn’t have to occur over seasons. Teams and players can establish that over the course of one season. By the time playoffs are rolling around, the best coached and healthiest teams, and with the best talent, are rising to the top.

5. He is maybe the best coach in the history of the game, and hires good assistants. By the time the playoffs roll around, the players have been coached up and the chemistry has built. Plus he’s had Brady.

Bonus – I believe the referees are genuinely trying to call the most fair game as they possible can. I also believe that some of the biases as discussed by multiple people earlier would certainly have an influence on some of their calls, despite the refs best efforts to keep that from happening. I also also believe that some of the referees are not as good as others at their jobs, and some of them are downright bad compared to some of their peers. And lastly, I also also also believe, with all the players they need to watch, and the speed at which the game is played, and as massive as the rule book is, it is a very difficult job at which to be good.

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It’s about money. They would have to pay them a lot more. Also, the referees, and their union, are quite opposed to it.

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I am honoured. 😀

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Fascinating… Not that there are many “ponytails” to correct for in the NFL. And I note DDC gets flagged a lot. (Which makes it all the more interesting that he is the leading guard in the league according to PFF—by over 6% more than his closest competitor, Zac Martin (DAL). Maybe these are makeup calls for college basketball : ) But in all seriousness, what would your thoughts be about the application of this to the NFL? I suppose if you narrowed it down to WRs, for instance, you might start to see some bias in who, for instance, gets PI calls and who doesn’t.

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Over the years I based both upon conversation and observation I am certain that consciously or not some game officials interpret their jobs in part as managing what they perceive as being competitive imbalances which I believe is way out of line with their job description.

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Nailed it! I hereby declare you the GDS Commentor of the Week…

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I am with Rebecca on this though perhaps it should be called the “Schrodinger’s Catch Rule/Non-Rule”.

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Maybe it should be titled “Schrodinger’s Catch Rule.”

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