I need to talk about THAT penalty

[*PhilHos*]

Sorry, guys. I know that even though it's only the next morning, you're probably already sick of hearing about and talking aboug THAT penalty. But, I have to ask the question: why, after letting the players play all game, after numerous obvious calls went uncalled, why oh why, did the refs wait until the most important drive of the game to not only throw a flag but to throw a flag on a guy who didn't even commit a penalty?!

Now, I know some of you will be quick to defend the refs and say they weren't the reason we lost the game and, sure, our offense could've done more/played better and our offensive line played worse than crap from the 3rd QTR to the end of the game. But you can argue that phantom call cost us the game.

Think of it this way. Let's say Stafford doesn't throw any picks and it's an offensive shoot out. Score is 40-36 and Stafford is driving the Rams down for the go ahead score with less than 2 minutes to go in the game. And then he throws an INT in the endzone. Would you say that Stafford INT cost the Rams the game? Yes, you would even though the loss was more on the defense not getting any stops.

Now, with all that said, we still had a shot to at least tie and I fully expected that to happen. It didn't and here we are. When all is said and done, I am mighty proud of our team. We had the worst oline to ever appear in a Super Bowl and we were a bullshit call away from winning the Super Bowl. That's nothing to be ashamed of. And you know the rest of the league is going to be worried if we can improve our offensive line this offseason. We just have to suffer through the next couple of days of Rams dick-riding until EVERYONE's focus turns to the offseason.

Thanks for letting me vent/rant and i appreciate you coming to my Ted Talk.

WHO DEY

[reuben.ahmed]

That would have been 4th and 9 from their 11, it would have been the game and it's how the Bengals drew up every playoff win. I don't know if it was makeup call or not. We don't really know if they would have scored, gotten the first, or gotten another penalty - or the bengals would stop them. We did tackle kupp in the endzone on a subsequent play.

We had a lot of these tom fooleries happen in the KC game week 17 too (where we took like 2 minutes to score from the 10 because of penalties in our favor), it's unfortunate what happens down there. We also picked Stafford off twice and got only 3 points, that spelled doom. Stafford brought the Detroit lions with him, he likes to throw picks, we didn't penalize.

Somebody finally penalized us for our weaknesses (offensive line, and can't run 3rd and 4th and short). Havin to throw in those situations is sad. The offense took us to the playoffs and the defense was winning every game. Maybe in the coming years we won't have to depend on the defense so much.

Mcvay said after the game when he saw us in shotgun in 4th and 1 he knew the game was over. If you ask aaron donald to sack once for a ring.

[Au165]

It was a make up call for the play before where someone literally grabbed the HB coming out of the backfield and threw them down (who was the target on the play). The thing no one seems to talk about is we actually had a holding call on their O line but Bell got the personal foul, so while we talk about the refs effecting us they were about to impact the Rams heavily (first hold all night) but we committed an offsetting penalty.

[Joelist]

I actually thought about on the last play just bringing our MacPherson. Yes it is a 65 yarder but the OL clearly was not going doing what needed to be done, so maybe the odds would be better.

[RunKijanaRun]

Donald lined up offsides several times. Lots of false starts never called, including the one on the phantom Wilson penalty and probably countless others we didn’t notice. Yeah, I saw the Higgins play.

The officiating in the last 2:30 minutes absolutely affected the outcome of the game.

[*PhilHos*]

(02-14-2022, 01:27 PM)Au165 Wrote: It was a make up call for the play before where someone literally grabbed the HB coming out of the backfield and threw them down (who was the target on the play). The thing no one seems to talk about is we actually had a holding call on their O line but Bell got the personal foul, so while we talk about the refs effecting us they were about to impact the Rams heavily (first hold all night) but we committed an offsetting penalty.

Sorry but that's bullshit. The refs have no problem throwing a flag late. If they saw a LEGITIMATE penalty on the play before, they would've thrown the flag.

No, what happened was they expected the Rams to score and when it was going to be 4th down, they decided to just make up a penalty because they wanted the Rams to win. (Do i sound bitter? Cause I think I sound bitter)

[*PhilHos*]

(02-14-2022, 01:36 PM)RunKijanaRun Wrote: Donald lined up offsides several times. Lots of false starts never called, including the one on the phantom Wilson penalty and probably countless others we didn’t notice. Yeah, I saw the Higgins play.

The officiating in the last 2:30 minutes absolutely affected the outcome of the game.

I'm fine with the refs not calling penalties as long as they not call them for both teams. But, the fact remains that when they did decide to call a big penalty it was on a play that a penalty wasn't committed in a crucial part of the game. That, i cannot forgive.

[Au165]

(02-14-2022, 01:38 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Sorry but that's bullshit. The refs have no problem throwing a flag late. If they saw a LEGITIMATE penalty on the play before, they would've thrown the flag.

No, what happened was they expected the Rams to score and when it was going to be 4th down, they decided to just make up a penalty because they wanted the Rams to win. (Do i sound bitter? Cause I think I sound bitter)

I mean it was what happened, you can be mad about it but it 100% is what occurred. Essentially you got away with one the play before and then it was close enough they wouldn't let you get away with it twice. They can communicate via headset between each other, on the field and what often happens is a guy will tell someone they missed a call.

As for this, yea this is nonsense. Bell hit him illegally but the hold was called long before that penalty you can see the ref throw it on the replay when the defender throws his arms up. 

[*PhilHos*]

(02-14-2022, 01:41 PM)Au165 Wrote: I mean it was what happened, you can be mad about it but it 100% is what occurred. Essentially you got away with one the play before and then it was close enough they wouldn't let you get away with it twice. They can communicate via headset between each other, on the field and what often happens is a guy will tell someone they missed a call.

Yeah, except they were missing calls ALL GAME. Hell, the only  reason they called false start on the Rams was because ALL the Bengals defenders were pointing at the dude. 

[NATI BENGALS]

I knew there was a make up call coming from Higgins getting away with one. I didn't expect it would come at such a big moment in the game.

[Pezmerga]

I am with you 100%.

The loss is ultimately on the OLine, but that was a crap holding call vs Wilson. Especially since they missed a false start on the same play. Replay 3rd down at worst.

[reuben.ahmed]

(02-14-2022, 01:30 PM)Joelist Wrote: I actually thought about on the last play just bringing our MacPherson. Yes it is a 65 yarder but the OL clearly was not going doing what needed to be done, so maybe the odds would be better.

I think he doinked a 62 yarder in warmups, but also hit a 63 yarder. Both taylor and burrow mentioned they were going for the TD (and at least, a FG). I would have loved to give probably our best weapon on the team a shot at OT though, I would have banked the Rams wouldn't have scored a TD in OT on their first drive. What do we expect to happen with our line and one of the best defensive players ever. I guess we just brought Evan to enjoy the halftime show lol.

I think this game would hurt less if we were blown out.

[*PhilHos*]

(02-14-2022, 01:56 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I knew there was a make up call coming from Higgins getting away with one. I didn't expect it would come at such a big moment in the game.

Except that should've been a makeup call for the Jalen Ramsey hold on Higgins on our first scoring drive.

[Johnny Cupcakes]

They let them play on both sides, only calling pre-snap penalties all damned game, then changed it up once the Rams got inside the red zone on their final scoring drive.

I know that the NFL isn't scripted (because I'm not an idiot), but there was a very bad call on that final drive that changed the game. I don't want to blame the refs....we got 7 free points on a no-call by the same refs, but that call on Wilson really makes you scratch your head.

[*PhilHos*]

(02-14-2022, 02:01 PM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: They let them play on both sides, only calling pre-snap penalties all damned game, then changed it up once the Rams got inside the red zone on their final scoring drive.

I know that the NFL isn't scripted (because I'm not an idiot), but there was a very bad call on that final drive that changed the game. I don't want to blame the refs....we got 7 free points on a no-call by the same refs, but that call on Wilson really makes you scratch your head.

Yeah. It would've been bad enough if it was an actual penalty that they decided to just start calling but what gets me the most is the fact that it wasn't even a penalty! I mean even Collinsworth couldn't defend the call and he was riding the Rams D all game (and I don't mean defense)

[PocketAces32]

(02-14-2022, 02:06 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Yeah. It would've been bad enough if it was an actual penalty that they decided to just start calling but what gets me the most is the fact that it wasn't even a penalty! I mean even Collinsworth couldn't defend the call and he was riding the Rams D all game (and I don't mean defense)

In al honesty I don’t think it was a penalty. However, I can see why a flag was thrown. Wilson did a great job to give just enough contact to where I think it was clean, but he did have both hands on Kupp. One hand on his back and one across his chest. That’s very borderline even though it shouldn’t have been called. At full speed…I bet it did look like a hold. I’d be bias to say it wasn’t even close.

[PocketAces32]

I think the two calls that were actually really bad were the two with Ramsey and Higgins. One of those went our way, one didn’t

[Millhouse]

On the flipside if the Bengals did win, all the talkshow talking heads and sports outlets would have been harping all off-season on the blown non-facemask call by Tee Higgins on that 75 yard td. Instead of a quick TD, it would have been 1st and 25 from the 10 yard line instead.

[TheCincinnatiKid]

The Wilson call was a joke, but the Higgins one was too. Without the Wilson call, the Rams had 4th and 9... obviously we're favoured to defend that, but who says Kupp doesn't beat us there anyway? With the Higgins play... I've no faith that our 2nd half offence scores 7 on that drive if they call the penalty.

I think that's true, and I also think thats the healthier view to take! Drowning in a pit of 'screw the zebras' isn't going to do much for anyone imo.

What I will say I absolutely hate about the NFL playoffs, is the whole 'let them play' bollocks. If you have a game where the rules are 'relaxed' for big time games, then the rules aren't fit for purpose. The game should be played to the same rules in every single game of the year.

I get the game is hard to officiate, but I make this comparison; I'm from England and I'm a major football (Soccer) fan. Refs make mistakes all the time in 'soccer' too. That will largely never cease, as it's too fluid a game. American Football has all the benefits of being a 'stop/start' kind of game, whereby video technology can really help refs out on the fly. I think it could be implemented better, to take subjectivity out of some of the calls you see.