01-08-2023, 01:31 PM
I thought they were both fumbles.
But the plays are not remotely the same. Dobbs is in the pocket being hit in the back in a normal throwing motion. The jolt if the hit lauches the ball & hit arm forward. But he loses control if the ball before his arm comes forward (to the degree it does come forward on its own).
Jones is getting sacked and trying to underhand it forward with his off hand to avoid a loss. He looses control of it in the attempt before it comes forward. In my view he should get LESS benefit of the doubt because his attempt is not a natural throwing motion AND is grounding.
The main differences are that in the Tennessee game, the refs got it right the first time AND did the correct thing in letting it play out. In our game, they got it wrong the first time AND screwed up by not letting the play continue. The first mistake changes the standard on review. Both were close, making an overrule less likely. The second mistake, IMHO, also makes an overrule LESS likely, because if it a fumble, then the 2nd mistake is a big deal. Whereas if it is a pass, then they have to admit they screwed up TWICE.
The human tendency is to want to be be right the first time and not look like a dope. In addition to the clear & obvious language of the rule, refs tend to look for a reason for the call to stand on replay, not a reason to overturn. Something to validate their initial decision. If if upon review they think they got it wrong, some fall back on the clear & obvious language to let it stand anyway. I see it in the NBA all the time. Once you throw a second mistake on the same play in the mix, they want to sweep that under the rug.
I do not think there was anti-Bengal bias here (that stuff is getting out of control), just human nature. I think replay decisions shouod be out of the hands of the on field officials. It would slow the game down, though.
But the plays are not remotely the same. Dobbs is in the pocket being hit in the back in a normal throwing motion. The jolt if the hit lauches the ball & hit arm forward. But he loses control if the ball before his arm comes forward (to the degree it does come forward on its own).
Jones is getting sacked and trying to underhand it forward with his off hand to avoid a loss. He looses control of it in the attempt before it comes forward. In my view he should get LESS benefit of the doubt because his attempt is not a natural throwing motion AND is grounding.
The main differences are that in the Tennessee game, the refs got it right the first time AND did the correct thing in letting it play out. In our game, they got it wrong the first time AND screwed up by not letting the play continue. The first mistake changes the standard on review. Both were close, making an overrule less likely. The second mistake, IMHO, also makes an overrule LESS likely, because if it a fumble, then the 2nd mistake is a big deal. Whereas if it is a pass, then they have to admit they screwed up TWICE.
The human tendency is to want to be be right the first time and not look like a dope. In addition to the clear & obvious language of the rule, refs tend to look for a reason for the call to stand on replay, not a reason to overturn. Something to validate their initial decision. If if upon review they think they got it wrong, some fall back on the clear & obvious language to let it stand anyway. I see it in the NBA all the time. Once you throw a second mistake on the same play in the mix, they want to sweep that under the rug.
I do not think there was anti-Bengal bias here (that stuff is getting out of control), just human nature. I think replay decisions shouod be out of the hands of the on field officials. It would slow the game down, though.
