Called Out: Week 1 Bengals at Ravens
September 10, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Replacement referee Richard Nicks views a replay during the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at M
Replacement Referees
Yes, that’s right; players are not the only ones to be called out in this article. It is a shame how poorly the game on Monday night was officiated. All week long the replacement referees seemed to be doing a very solid job – until Monday night. The referees not only missed some key calls, but even when certain plays were reviewed, they still got it wrong. Two big plays come to mind here (and there were a lot more than just two). An incomplete pass was called whenDaltonthrew to A.J. Green early in the game which should have been a big completion. Green caught the ball, held on to it for a few seconds and was wrestled to the ground only to have the ball pop out once contact was made with the turf. Green held on to the ball long enough to warrant a completion, and the ground can not cause a fumble.
It is still very amazing how that play could be ruled an incompletion in any stretch of the imagination. Secondly, the touchdown pass to Boldin. That deserves a big C’mon Man! The play was ruled a touchdown on the field and rightly so as it was a very tough angle to see the ball move from where the official was standing. However, all scoring plays are reviewed. Once the replay was shown of the “catch” it was very clear that the ball had slipped out of Boldin’s grasp and hit the turf on his way down.
This was very visible on the replay and should have been picked up easily by the referee. Instead, like so many other calls, it was missed and the touchdown was awarded. The replacement referees should not be condemned due to this poor performance, however. The rest of the officials around the league did a fine job and proved that they can be sufficient enough in the time being while the regular officials are still in a lock out
That will do it for the week one ‘Called Out’. If there is a player that should have made this list for one reason or another, be sure to post your thoughts on the message board below or message us on Twitter.
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