League admits mistake in Lions-Saints game
 

“Referee Tony Corrente ruled the play was a fumble and a recovery by Detroit,” the league said in a statement emailed Sunday night to PFT. “However, during the play and before Detroit recovered the fumble, another official blew the whistle believing it was an incomplete pass. Because the ruling on the field was a fumble, and the whistle came before the recovery, the play is dead because of the inadvertent whistle and the Saints should have retained possession of the ball. New Orleans would then have had the choice to put the ball in play at the spot where possession was lost or to replay the down. Inadvertent whistles are not reviewable.”

League admits errors on Lions-Saints fumble | ProFootballTalk

I knew it.

I wouldnt be this forgiving if we lost the game because of it, but everyone makes mistakes and refs arent perfect. but at least they called the play dead before the touchdown. that could have killed us

I think had the whistle not blown some o-linemen could have been in position to stop the fumble return. Once the whistle blows it's like everyone stops or is in slow motion.

It was a bad call. We have these conversations every week... unfortunately.

But after the whistle they were awarded posession, it should have been Saints ball, and they ruled it a fumble Lions were unable to capitalize end of story.

An inadvertent whistle is one thing, I can accept those because a play like that is tough to get right on the spot at that speed. The failure to follow the rules and awarding the balls to the Lions however is a lot more serious.

Glad this came out now so people wouldn't make the argument that the lions got hosed because they didn't get a scoop and score. Oh wait...that ****in douchebag coach Schwartz already did. Oh well, now he looks like an even bigger dumbass.

Baloney.

I'm sure the Schwartz will claim there's a conspiracy against his team now.

He got the best of all outcomes, given the events, and he still couldn't score.

Lets' see if he goes from douche to giant douche.

It actually should have been a Lions TD, then. Thats what I suspected, when I saw it. Happened too fast for me to officiate it.

I think we would have come back anyway, but I want to win fair and square, so there's no whining.

There's no way of telling that. A lot of people assume they had a touchdown taken away from them... but who really knows that? We played to the whistle and stopped once it was blown dead. After 3 or 4 more blown whistles, they decide to continue running toward the endzone with the ball... that doesn't mean they had a TD taken away from them. It means they're deaf.

lets just let it go....

Give Det an assumed 7 points...

NO - 45
Det - 35

We still win...

Next victim

That is what I just can't believe. I mean me and the guys sitting around me knew that an inadvertent whistle meant we should have retained possession, how can an entire team of referees not come the same conclusion? WTF?

I was also shocked by the way the Saints coaching staff seemed to accept the call without a fight. I tend to think that if Payton had gone ballistic then maybe the refs would have spent more time talking about it and possibly could have some to the right decision.

Since they couldn't stop us all night I'm going to assume they stole a minimum of three points from us.

I've been hanging out at a Lions forum since last week. They're a pretty nice group but they're the whiniest bunch I've ever seen. Yeah, even worse than Vikings fans. This one of their pet peeves. I posted this on their board and am now aware that this is just part of the NFL conspiracy to keep the Lions down. You guys did know about the conspiracy right?

I believe you don't let the game come down to one play... you win it out right so no one can mistake who won the game. Don't leave one play by the hands of officiating cause you to win or lose the game.

So the play became a mute point for the outcome of the game.

This is why I'm here posting on the Black & Gold, if you post an objective thought about your team on a Lions board, the slappies who go through life with honolulu blue & silver goggles on get indignant and call you names ... and half of 'em are running/moderating the boards! It's just not realtime football dialogue. You can't blame the refs and the league's not out to get anyone ... except maybe Ndamukong Suh, lol! (jk)

It is sad this conversation occurs every week on every board around the league. Early on, I noticed that no matter what game I watched, it was full of questionable calls. We had a ref in the Green Bay game call the start of the third quarter at the two minute warning for crissake, where was his head at? These guys (the refs) are part-timers officiating an extremely fast game, played by arguably the top athletes in the world. Let's get some younger refs out there on the field and utilize today's technology to allow for reviewing more plays. Two challenges a game and the plays you can't challenge are ridiculous.

That being said, even if it warranted playing the game over, I don't think it would have changed the outcome much and that's what's important. As long as the ref's mistakes aren't deciding games, we live with it.

gone fishin'.

I knew it wasn't a fumble when the play happened, Drew was all class about that play in his post game presser but just goes to show you that these refs are clueless

non issue, would no have changed the outcome of the game.

A human being made a mistake in real-time-blistering-speed sporting activity. Wow, that never happens.

I'm more often amazed how many calls they get correct in a nanosecond.

I don't whine about the mistakes they make.
ALL humans make mistakes and it would be douchebaglike to blame or whine about it. Just sayin'.

The NFL often claims they've made mistakes. I respect that about them. I agree it is a non issue. Good point.

Am I really about to give Choupique a "like?"

Totally agree.
When I first saw this thread, I thought "Oh no, don't tell me the refs ruled something against DetLions in favor of Saints."
Whew!

This is a critical thing. This cannot really happen. I am sure NFL will make more checks from the booth or headquarters, wherever.

Several of us have said the same thing over the past few weeks. Most of us do cuss & yell during a game BUT... they do a hell of a lot better than I would ever do!!

Already there.

And, we had the ball at the goal line at the two minute warning. So, NO - 52 and DET 35. We still win...big.

I am so tired of worrying about Jim Schwartz's feelings this season. Can we all just move on? Jesus.

Totally agree with analysis and resulting conclusion. Thank you, AlleyCat.

They definitely have a difficult job. However, I think what makes this particular case different is that it required no judgement or interpretation of the rules, it was the simply the application of a rule. In any particular game there are probably 5-10 calls that could go either way, especially when you're talking about pass interference, holding, and things of that nature. In most cases these cancel each other out as long as the referee is being consistent.

However, this particular case was simply the application of a rule and IMO there is no excuse for an entire team of referees to apply a known rule incorrectly. The whistle blew, the play is dead, no interpretation needed.

LOL Uncle Choup has been "dead on" lately...

sent from my Droid Charge on Verizon

Error on the side of possession in the future, before awarding the ball to a team on a questionable call.

I'm pleased that they couldn't capitalize.

Alaska

I'm just glad that play didn't matter.

I do think SloMotion is right though. Hire some younger guys who are full time professionals. Maybe look for ex-football players, but a helmet them and put them where they can see the action rather than worry about some one bumping into them and bruising their artery hardened brains.

The truth often hurts. Some of us are not politically correct and say exactly what we think. If anyone has a problem with that, tough s.h.i.t.

If you like, or don't like what I say... it doesn't really matter to me. Sorry.
I STILL will say exactly what I think. I do that face to face too. That is how some of us roll.

Carry on.