The first down that wasnt a first down

[PurpleKoolaid]

If anyone hears from the Vikings, or the Refs, with an explanation of how Staford gets up to the LOS and throws the ball, before the refs singled a first down, or the changes were made, could you please post them here.

Maybe the intentional ground too that wasnt called on Staford.

Danke

[jackal]

yeah that was strange...they didn't even move the sticks before the ball was snapped..

It sure seemed like the refs were trying to keep the lions in the game.. a series of bad calls

[Grashopa]

I was at the game and was very confused by both of these things.

The refs were not lined up, several of them were still over near the sideline with the ball from the previous play still on the field and all of a sudden the lions were running a play...

same thing with the intentional grounding, I said something to my wife but no one really seemed to care....

Also, more phantom calls this week, Like the pass interference on the interception where Rhodes was jumping in front of Johnson, playing the ball, and it didn't even look like he touched him. The Johnson TD, where he drags his feet but he is well out of bounds before he actually has control of the ball (the balls initial contact with the hands does not constitute a catch). And that we had to keep challenging for our first downs... The second, which wasn't over turned definitely looked good, teddy leaped off his left foot in bounds and by the time his right foot landed out of bounds the ball was well past the line to gain. Oh well, at least we won.

[mansquatch]

The NFL refs are also shaking the rust off. There were a bunch of terrible calls during the SNF game and as usual they favored Aaron Rogers.

[PurpleMustReign]

The intentioal grounding no call was correct. His arm was hit. I don't understand why no one saw that.
That sequence at the two minute warning was stupid. I saw one ref wave his hands to stop the clock. Right in front of the Vikings defense line. It was stupid.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Crax]

The intentioal grounding no call was correct. His arm was hit. I don't understand why no one saw that.
That sequence at the two minute warning was stupid. I saw one ref wave his hands to stop the clock. Right in front of the Vikings defense line. It was stupid.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Also, there was a ref standing right where the ball went out to spot the ball and he looked just short of the 1st down TV line(not 100% accurate, but usually dang close). Someone threw the ball over there but not right too him and he didn't move to get it so he could keep an accurate spot. It completely looked like Detroit was going to be short and the refs were actually on top of an accurate spot and then all of the sudden the game keeps going.

[Grashopa]

I forgot to mention the two late hits out of bounds, There was one on Teddy and one on Stafford, they both were nearly identical, where as both hits seemed to occur right on the boundary, but Stafford just flopped better...

[Just Me]

TBH I didn't have a great deal of angst with the difference in the Bridgewater vs. Stafford hits. If one re-watches the differences, both they appear to be be on the periphery of the sideline, but in Teddy's case (IIRC) the Lion is trying to make a play while Bridgewater is in the field of play and his type of tackle (kind of diving) was not one he could change his direction or stop it once it was commenced. As a result he ends up hitting Teddy OOB in the legs, even though his tackle (IMHO) was initiated in the field of play. I thought it was a close "non-call" but I could understand why they let it go. In Stafford's case, he was going OOB and appeared to me to be slowing as he did so. Barr's push was just as Stafford was going OOB and (again IMHO) it should have been obvious that Stafford was going OOB. I thought that this call was a little more obvious for the refs, but even if I concede the call was questionable, I think our players are better served by not putting themselves into a position where the ref could "call it either way." Evidently Zimmer had similar thoughts since he benched Barr briefly after that play.

The (non) intentional grounding actually was the right call since Stafford had his arm moving forward to pass when it was hit by a defender. In real time, it looked like intentional grounding. When they showed the replay from the front of Stafford I thought it was clearly an incomplete pass.

On the 4th down play that Detroit converted, I thought several people could have done better on that one. The refs clearly messed that one up, but I was disappointed Zimmer did not demand a measurement there. It looked like Detroit was about a half yard shy of the first down (as Crax mentioned, the TV line is not "official" but it is usually pretty close) and I would argue you call for the measurement in any case (if nothing else to give your defense a little breather on a long drive). Don't get me wrong, I love Mike Zimmer, but I think that may have been a "growing moment" for him to realize he could have done better there. If he's the type of coach I think he is, he is probably critical of himself there too.

Basically, I think the 4th and 7 (IIRC it was 7 yards anyway) play was a legitimate gripe, the non-intentional grounding was the correct call, and the disparity between the calls for QBs being hit while OOB, while questionable, doesn't rise to the level of me saying it was "blatantly unfair."

[Grashopa]

I do agree that Stafford was obviously done advancing the ball and was heading out of bounds. I guess I couldn't see the Bridgewater one as well (since it was on the Vikings sideline) but he was also heading out of bounds.

That hurry up play was ridiculous, the refs weren't even set. I was watching them spot the ball by the sideline and all of a sudden the lions were running a play. never seen anything like it.

[Norv Zimmer]

Zimmer didn't have time to request a measurement, the refs got the ball back to the lions soooooooo fast. It also seemed the clock was stooped st 2:00 for a couple seconds before the ball was snapped. Idk gonna watch it again

[soflavike]

Barr's hit on Stafford may have been unnecessary, but it was initiated in-bounds and was technically not a penalty. Stafford was a runner in that situation. You are allowed to push a runner out of bounds last time I checked. Look at the play as many times as you want.

https://amp.twimg.com/amplify-web-playe ... json_rpc=1

[dead_poet]

Barr's hit on Stafford may have been unnecessary, but it was initiated in-bounds and was technically not a penalty. Stafford was a runner in that situation. You are allowed to push a runner out of bounds last time I checked. Look at the play as many times as you want.

https://amp.twimg.com/amplify-web-playe ... json_rpc=1

Stafford was clearly slowing down and running nearly horizontal at that point towards the sidelines. I agree it was probably closer call on review though as Barr's hands touch him when he's baaaaarely in bounds. But Stafford wasn't going to get any more yardage at that point and you shouldn't even put yourself in a situation where that's a possible 15-yarder. Much more negative to be done than anything. So I still think it was a stupid move by Barr.

[Grashopa]

here is a good pic of the Rhodes PI before the Smith Interception.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2569 ... win/page/5

[mondry]

Also, there was a ref standing right where the ball went out to spot the ball and he looked just short of the 1st down TV line(not 100% accurate, but usually dang close). Someone threw the ball over there but not right too him and he didn't move to get it so he could keep an accurate spot. It completely looked like Detroit was going to be short and the refs were actually on top of an accurate spot and then all of the sudden the game keeps going.

Yeah that's what I saw too, the one ref looked like he wanted to hold his spot and get a measurement but another ball get's thrown to the other ref and he puts it down in the center of the field where the lions are like "uh... okay guess we'll run a play!"

The only logical explanation i can think of is that the middle field ref thought it was 3rd down and they would go for it on 4th and short anyway. Either way he messed up bad, luckily it didn't cost us.

As for the hits on TB and Stafford going out of bounds, to me it looks like the tackler on Teddy had no chance to stop his momentum and the lunge for the tackle begins well inside the boundary. On Stafford you can clearly see him pulling up to casual walk out of bounds where Barr's shove was completely unnecessary.

[PurpleKoolaid]

To me, the Refs dont hold the Vikings games (or players) to the same priority as they do to other teams. Even when we have home field. I blame this on indifference more then anything, but I also blame Zimmer the past 2 years. If it was Fraizer that let a play like the first down go by, and not even challenge the spot, if it was a first, or if the 2 minute mark had hit, fans would be screaming, but since its Norv, its just kinda ok. I wonder if Zimmer even talked about it to anyone, especially the Refs. That and the PI calls (or non calls) have me pretty ticked off.