OT: Did Gronk quit on his team last night? **

[intlzncster]

Interesting idea by the OP. I wonder if Gronkowski was inspired by Revis deciding he was "concussed" and had to leave the game while he was being embarrassed by DeAndre Hopkins last week.

While I thought the OP was amusing, I'm of the opinion that, 1. it hurt like hell. I've both broken my leg and gotten a deep thigh/bone bruise before, and believe it or not, the thigh bruise hurt more. Also, I think a big factor for Gronk was frustration and fear of it being another serious injury; I'm sure he was thinking "duckck! another season down the drain".

 

[August_West]

While I thought the OP was amusing, I'm of the opinion that, 1. it hurt like hell. I've both broken my leg and gotten a deep thigh/bone bruise before, and believe it or not, the thigh bruise hurt more. Also, I think a big factor for Gronk was frustration and fear of it being another serious injury; I'm sure he was thinking "duckck! Im not going to be able to walk for my "Gronks Partyship cruise to Gronk Island.".

Fixed that for you.

 

[intlzncster]

Well I've watched games with other Pats fans and they agree with you and expect it every play but never on them. LOL Then there's reality.

All I ask is that the game be called fairly. Why are we even having this conversation though? Didn't you post something about UConn bball and Gonzaga and reffing this weekend?

The refereeing has been so bad this year across the NFL. I expect it at this point and can live with it. But what needs to happen is be consistently bad for both teams during a game. For whatever reason, it was not the case yesterday. All that matters is the Pats escaped serious injury on the Gronk/Hightower front. A bunch of writers have come to the fore and said the Pats got jobbed. And rarely, rarely does anyone defend the Patriots outside NE.

That Gronk seems to be unfairly targeted (by refs) this year has started to become a national story, and is telling that there could be something there.

 

[intlzncster]

Fixed that for you.

Hey, the Gronk family are professional partiers. That's a big deal right there.

 

[upstater]

You're hilarious when it comes to the Pats. It's everyone else and never them no matter what? I think you're all funny now I know the house I went to for the GMen Pats last Super Bowl was just typical. They saw every hold on the Gianst offensive line and every play. They saw PI all the time on or DB's. I had to leave at the half, it was ridiculous and now I know why. it's the whining nation.

Call it both ways. It's all I ask.

Brady completes a 50+ yard bomb to Keyshawn Martin, and it's a hands to the face hold by the Patriots offensive lineman.

If the refs call 2 plays consistently, the Patriots win.

But the Broncos throw a go ahead TD and the refs turn a blind eye to this:

 

[intlzncster]

Where do I get my card?

 

[intlzncster]

At some point you need to look at both sides of this issue. He is huge and has manhandled DB's when he gets to his cut point for a while, they need to be able to defend themselves and have a chance, it's really that simple. The one video is ridiculous as it was interference but how many from his end go uncalled with a 190lb DB defenseless? I mean it works both ways here.

He shouldn't be penalized for being huge either though. That's what makes him great. Why would you want to penalize won of the best players in the game?

 

[upstater]

Also, you act like the Patriots fans are the only ones who noticed this, but it's all over the media.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...-the-nfl-s-officiating-problem-153446759.html

Actually, there may have been five worse calls in the final 20 minutes of Sunday night's game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. If you're from Boston, you'd have a legitimate gripe about 1) A running-into-the-kicker penalty at midfield that was ignored by the officials with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter, 2) The offensive pass interference call against Rob Gronkowski that negated a third-down conversion with 5:22 remaining in the fourth quarter, 3) Shaq Barrett launching his entire body at Tom Brady's head on the replay of third down, 4) A defensive holding call against Patrick Chung that turned Denver's third-and-15 into a first-and-goal with 1:09 left in regulation and 5) Aqib Talib's blatant hold of Brandon LaFell on the firs play from scrimmage in overtime. Am I missing some others? Yeah, probably.

You also have Stephen A. Smith agreeing with Skip, which never happens on this:



Boomer Esiason too: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/11/...r-letting-pats-broncos-spiral-out-of-control/

So it's not just Patriots fans, but Seahawks, Cowboys, Ravens, Jets backers too who are basically saying the exact same thing I'm saying.

 

[intlzncster]

You're hilarious when it comes to the Pats. It's everyone else and never them no matter what? I think you're all funny now I know the house I went to for the GMen Pats last Super Bowl was just typical. They saw every hold on the Gianst offensive line and every play. They saw PI all the time on or DB's. I had to leave at the half, it was ridiculous and now I know why. it's the whining nation.

Um, that's what fans of opposing teams generally do during big games? The game is tight and tense and you need to relieve some tension by yelling at the refs and blaming everything from the wind to the pregame meal. You should hear me during UCONN games.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Hahah. At least you're looking at it objectively. You and Collinsworth. You think any other receiver gets flagged on that play you're out of your mind. Watching the highlight package for the kid who played well for Balt. last night and half of his routes look like car crashes compared to that. He didn't initiate the contact or extend but to you its "so clearly pass interference it isn't funny." Amazing.

I can't speak to false negatives.

 

[upstater]

LOL

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

 

[Mots010]

Denver: 6 penalties/46 yards. New England: 5 penalties 47 yards.
Each team had 2 first downs from penalties, and each had one in the end zone. Obviously this was the worst officiated game in the history of sports.

Look at the Broncos/Bears game from week 11 if you want to see what a real uneven game looks like.

 

[intlzncster]

And it happens all the time. It is now a crime to be too big and fast in the NFL. Maybe if JJ Watt switches to tight end permanently, we'll see a change in opinion.

 

[intlzncster]

Denver: 6 penalties/46 yards. New England: 5 penalties 47 yards.
Each team had 2 first downs from penalties, and each had one in the end zone. Obviously this was the worst officiated game in the history of sports.

Look at the Broncos/Bears game from week 11 if you want to see what a real uneven game looks like.

Counting number of penalties and yards is meaningless though Context is far more important. A couple penalties unfairly/inconsistently called that kill critical drives or or negate touchdowns are far more egregious than 6 offsides calls. Can't look at it in a vacuum.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Denver: 6 penalties/46 yards. New England: 5 penalties 47 yards.
Each team had 2 first downs from penalties, and each had one in the end zone. Obviously this was the worst officiated game in the history of sports.

Look at the Broncos/Bears game from week 11 if you want to see what a real uneven game looks like.

And if Denver actually committed three times as many penalties, which they may have? Then what? I've seen games where UConn shot three times as many FTs as the other team and still got jobbed, because the other team committed two fouls every possession.

In the meantime, critical calls made and no-calls, all went against the Patriots in the Denver game. If any one of those went the other way, the Broncos lose. But it doesn't matter, it will only galvanize the Pats.

 

[Mots010]

Or maybe Belichick should have run the ball three times and punted when it was 1st and 10 at the NE 40 with 2:53 left. Broncos get the ball back with no timeouts and a lot less time on the clock. Maybe then Osweiller doesnt beat the Pats secondary over the top to Sanders on a big passing play because the Pats can play prevent. Maybe Belichick should have let Brady run the 2 min drill at the end of the first half and not run out the clock with over 2 minutes left and timeouts remaining. They didnt attempt one pass with a guy who's one of the greatest in the last 2 min.

Or maybe we go back and look at Denver's penalties and call BS. Maybe those extend drives, or keep the broncos in field goal range or whatever. Maybe then they dominate TOP, total yardage, first downs more than they did. That's where the game was won and lost IMO. There were plenty of chances to win this game without the needing a few calls in the last 2 min.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

The DB's are allowed that contact every play I mean Butler was killing OBJ with it so you can't have your cake and eat it too. It's ok for the DB but the push off by Gronk is obvious this was a good call. If they didn't call it though I'd be ok with it too seems to me the DB's get too much freedom on the "5 yd contact" line and the receivers are at the disadvantage there.

No they're not, at least not by the "letter of the law" that you love to reference. That contact was borderline horse-collaring.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

At some point you need to look at both sides of this issue. He is huge and has manhandled DB's when he gets to his cut point for a while, they need to be able to defend themselves and have a chance, it's really that simple. The one video is ridiculous as it was interference but how many from his end go uncalled with a 190lb DB defenseless? I mean it works both ways here.

So it's Gronkowski's fault he's physically bigger than DB's?

 

[PcketknfNiels]

You're hilarious when it comes to the Pats. It's everyone else and never them no matter what? I think you're all funny now I know the house I went to for the GMen Pats last Super Bowl was just typical. They saw every hold on the Gianst offensive line and every play. They saw PI all the time on or DB's. I had to leave at the half, it was ridiculous and now I know why. it's the whining nation.

Sounds like some objective analysis here. Glad to see you have no personal bias whatsoever.

 

[upstater]

Or maybe Belichick should have run the ball three times and punted when it was 1st and 10 at the NE 40 with 2:53 left. Broncos get the ball back with no timeouts and a lot less time on the clock. Maybe then Osweiller doesnt beat the Pats secondary over the top to Sanders on a big passing play because the Pats can play prevent. Maybe Belichick should have let Brady run the 2 min drill at the end of the first half and not run out the clock with over 2 minutes left and timeouts remaining. They didnt attempt one pass with a guy who's one of the greatest in the last 2 min.

Or maybe we go back and look at Denver's penalties and call BS. Maybe those extend drives, or keep the broncos in field goal range or whatever. Maybe then they dominate TOP, total yardage, first downs more than they did. That's where the game was won and lost IMO. There were plenty of chances to win this game without the needing a few calls in the last 2 min.

Denver scored within a minute of getting the ball.

 

[mauconnfan]

I agree with that, and contact is fine; but you can't grab. A smaller receiver would have been held there, but Gronk's strength makes it appear not so blatant. I have no problem with the contact thing; heck I think it works in favor of Gronk (minus the grab). I think those should be no calls, in the current structure.

Personally, I think the DBs are getting screwed with all the new rules. And should be allowed more leeway. Again, I like a no call format. All these penalties suck and make the games unwatchable.

You can't grab but they do! Butler did ALL game vs OBJ never just contact, grab or pull. We just don't whine about it because it's football things do't always go your way. Bu it seems it's expected to with your team.

 

[mauconnfan]

Um, that's what fans of opposing teams generally do during big games? The game is tight and tense and you need to relieve some tension by yelling at the refs and blaming everything from the wind to the pregame meal. You should hear me during UCONN games.

Not this much EVERY play I swear. Pitiful to say the least but again, used to it now. So keep it coming it's what's happened to this while thread

 

[intlzncster]

You can't grab but they do! Butler did ALL game vs OBJ never just contact, grab or pull. We just don't whine about it because it's football things do't always go your way. Bu it seems it's expected to with your team.

No, it's because Gronk has far more penalties called on him than anyone else. For the exact same actions. I'd be cool with it if they treated all guys the same way within games; I'm resigned to the fact that different crews will call things differently, but I would expect it to be consistent within game.

I mean, it's become a national (non Patriot) discussion. It's not just Patriot fans. Here's another good summary of it. The guy's final analysis on it mirrors my thoughts exactly (I was going to bring up Shaq earlier in the thread).

But saying that league officials are truly targeting Gronkowski is a stretch. Instead, I don't think the NFL refs have any idea of how to handle a player like Gronk. It's a lot like what we saw with Shaquille O'Neal back in the 1990s when a defender would go flying, Shaq would get nailed for an offensive foul, and just raise his arms like, "What'd I do?" The end result always looked worse than it was because of the sheer size difference between the two players involved. If a guy gets back on his heels against Gronk from a press position, forget about it. The defender is toast. There is just too much size, strength and power from Gronk to throw some poor technique out there.

To ask Gronk to change his style of play is ridiculous. Maybe the officials will catch up, maybe they won't. But one thing is for certain: Defensive backs better get those knees bent and be ready to battle Gronk. They can't always count on the refs to bail them out.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14271010/is-rob-gronkowski-being-unfairly-targeted-referees-nfl

 

[upstater]

No, it's because Gronk has far more penalties called on him than anyone else. For the exact same actions. I'd be cool with it if they treated all guys the same way within games; I'm resigned to the fact that different crews will call things differently, but I would expect it to be consistent within game.

I mean, it's become a national (non Patriot) discussion. It's not just Patriot fans. Here's another good summary of it. The guy's final analysis on it mirrors my thoughts exactly (I was going to bring up Shaq earlier in the thread).

But saying that league officials are truly targeting Gronkowski is a stretch. Instead, I don't think the NFL refs have any idea of how to handle a player like Gronk. It's a lot like what we saw with Shaquille O'Neal back in the 1990s when a defender would go flying, Shaq would get nailed for an offensive foul, and just raise his arms like, "What'd I do?" The end result always looked worse than it was because of the sheer size difference between the two players involved. If a guy gets back on his heels against Gronk from a press position, forget about it. The defender is toast. There is just too much size, strength and power from Gronk to throw some poor technique out there.

To ask Gronk to change his style of play is ridiculous. Maybe the officials will catch up, maybe they won't. But one thing is for certain: Defensive backs better get those knees bent and be ready to battle Gronk. They can't always count on the refs to bail them out.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14271010/is-rob-gronkowski-being-unfairly-targeted-referees-nfl

Only problem I see with this article is the last comment about targeting and Shaq. With Shaq, the problems were immediate. You could see the refs having difficulty with the LSU games, and it continued in the NBA. Gronk though has been in the league for 6 years now. This is the first year he's been getting this many OPIs, 6. So either the refs forgot how to call games after 5 years of doing it another way, or he is getting extra scrutiny. The Shaq analogy doesn't fly.