2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[R3P0]

LOL at ppl upset about the call, 1 play does not determine a game, Lions were up 20-0 and lost 27-23 full game is 60 minutes. Also in regards to Rogers calls, he will always get the call no matter what because of who he is go back and look at the GB/Minn games when Rogers got the roughing the QB call and Bridgewater did not. Both plays very similar. As a Lions fan nothing surprises me anymore with this team except them actually being stupid enough to attempt to win games when they should be going for a draft position to trade down and net even more draft picks.

[BeastCreatureTrapper]

I think it's a bad call. The thumb barely touches the facemask as the hand goes to the shoulder, but I don't see the thumb staying in the facemask, nor do I see it gripping the facemask to pull the player, as the rule stipulates.

So, it's not enough just for contact to the facemask to get the penalty:

"No player shall grasp and control, twist, turn, push or pull the facemask of an opponent in any direction. If a player grasps an opponent's facemask, he must immediately release it. If he does not immediately release it and controls his opponent, it is a foul."

Even if the thumb was in the bars, it definitely wasn't there long enough to warrant a penalty. As is, it looks like it barely contacts the facemask, if at all.

The problem is that you are asking officials to make these calls at full-speed, without any chance of a review. So, if it's close, it's gonna be a facemask penalty. That's just human nature.

The good news for Green Bay is that they beat Detroit.

The bad news for Green Bay is that it took everything they had, along with some major luck, just to beat Detroit.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by BeastCreatureTrapper

I think it's a bad call. The thumb barely touches the facemask as the hand goes to the shoulder, but I don't see the thumb staying in the facemask, nor do I see it gripping the facemask to pull the player, as the rule stipulates.

So, it's not enough just for contact to the facemask to get the penalty:

"No player shall grasp and control, twist, turn, push or pull the facemask of an opponent in any direction. If a player grasps an opponent's facemask, he must immediately release it. If he does not immediately release it and controls his opponent, it is a foul."

Even if the thumb was in the bars, it definitely wasn't there long enough to warrant a penalty. As is, it looks like it barely contacts the facemask, if at all.

The problem is that you are asking officials to make these calls at full-speed, without any chance of a review. So, if it's close, it's gonna be a facemask penalty. That's just human nature.

The good news for Green Bay is that they beat Detroit.

The bad news for Green Bay is that it took everything they had, along with some major luck, just to beat Detroit.

But it boils down to this does he touch rogers facemask the answer yes, so its either a facemask penalty, should have only been a 5 yarder but thats another issue as it was incidental contact but its rogers so hes going to get the call, or the only other one they can call there is hitting the helmet of the QB which is a 15 yard penalty and 1st down. It is a cheap call but as I have said before Rogers will always get his calls because hes Rogers

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Looks to me like he touched it and then jerked A-Rod around by the shoulder pad, which isn't a penalty.

you can see his helmet physically move on his head and cover different parts of his face......he hit the facemask......so even if it's not a a facemask, it's an illegal blow to the head which is still a penalty.

again, it was the ref behind Rodgers that threw the flag.....w/the way his helmet spun around, any QB would've gotten that call.

[walruswarrior]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

you can see his helmet physically move on his head and cover different parts of his face......he hit the facemask......so even if it's not a a facemask, it's an illegal blow to the head which is still a penalty.

again, it was the ref behind Rodgers that threw the flag.....w/the way his helmet spun around, any QB would've gotten that call.

Dress it up however you want, but it's the wrong call regardless of who gets it.

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by walruswarrior

Dress it up however you want, but it's the wrong call regardless of who gets it.

call it karma paying us back for the fail-mary.

[walruswarrior]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

call it karma paying us back for the fail-mary.

Lol. Touché! Seriously though bad call. If you're going to cost a team the game at least get the correct penalty. This shows the refs are struggling to implement the rule book.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by walruswarrior

Lol. Touché! Seriously though bad call. If you're going to cost a team the game at least get the correct penalty. This shows the refs are struggling to implement the rule book.

Well thank goodness the real refs are on strike and would never make terrible calls like this. Oh wait. -_-

[Rblu-Dblu]

Originally Posted by R3P0

But it boils down to this does he touch rogers facemask the answer yes, so its either a facemask penalty, should have only been a 5 yarder but thats another issue as it was incidental contact but its rogers so hes going to get the call, or the only other one they can call there is hitting the helmet of the QB which is a 15 yard penalty and 1st down. It is a cheap call but as I have said before Rogers will always get his calls because hes Rogers

I thought the NFL eliminated the 5 yard face mask penalty. Its either the 15 yarder or nothing.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Rblu-Dblu

I thought the NFL eliminated the 5 yard face mask penalty. Its either the 15 yarder or nothing.

Correct, the 5-yard face mask penalty in 2008.

That's 2 games the Lions have lost due to questionable at best calls. If different calls were made in the Packers and Seahawks games it's very possible the Lions could be 6-6 and right in the thick of the playoff race rather than 4-8 and effectively eliminated.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Rblu-Dblu

I thought the NFL eliminated the 5 yard face mask penalty. Its either the 15 yarder or nothing.

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Correct, the 5-yard face mask penalty in 2008.

That's 2 games the Lions have lost due to questionable at best calls. If different calls were made in the Packers and Seahawks games it's very possible the Lions could be 6-6 and right in the thick of the playoff race rather than 4-8 and effectively eliminated.

If thats the case then the correct call was made, the Lions screwed themselves by putting up only 6 points in the second half. You cant blame the refs for that, its all on the Lions.

[Blu-Benny]

that's it too.......20-0 half way through the 3rd quarter.......the Lions could've put the Packers away at any point but couldn't.

but our defense stepped it up after that turnover and Johnson touchdown.

not that I'm bragging......that was the most ugly win ever.

[TitansFan4Life]

It will be discussed a lot today and this week, but I think it was the right call.

In the past, there was a 5 yard facemask penalty, which is what last night's call would've been if that rule still applied. And I don't think you need to grasp them. There was enough movement in Rodgers' head to sell it.

Realize that if a defender hits the QB's helmet even in the slightest, it's going to get called. This is pretty similar.

[Rblu-Dblu]

Originally Posted by TitansFan4Life

It will be discussed a lot today and this week, but I think it was the right call.

In the past, there was a 5 yard facemask penalty, which is what last night's call would've been if that rule still applied. And I don't think you need to grasp them. There was enough movement in Rodgers' head to sell it.

Realize that if a defender hits the QB's helmet even in the slightest, it's going to get called. This is pretty similar.

I don't think the same rules apply there because he was a runner at that point, not a passer.

[RageATL]

Anywho, time to move on to this weekend and some of the big match ups taking place...

[rickah88]

I think the call was the right. Keep in mind we all have the luxury of slow replay, whereas the refs do not, at the time.
As much flack as the refs get, I still think they are doing a great job. I have not looked at any stats, but I imagine they have a pretty high batting average. Everyone expects them to be 100% perfect all the time. Sorry, but I don't think anyone is 100% perfect at their job. We are all human and prone to error.
Couple all of that with the fact it was a play that involved the QB. If defenses don't know by now that the QB, in today's NFL, is borderline untouchable...you are just rolling the dice if you go too high or too low.
I know it's tough when going full speed.
I really think this just highlights a much bigger picture, and that's the constant attention to protecting against injury vs sacrificing game play to do it.
CTE is a very real problem, and with athletes being bigger/faster/stronger the chance of injury is only going to increase! FFS, just look at all the injuries to marquee players this year alone! Staggering!
Then throw this new Concussion film in the mix...I think the NFL is rapidly approaching a crossroads. Do they play it safe and turn it into a flag football league? Highly unlikely! Or do they make players start signing injury waivers to avoid future lawsuits? Basically playing in the NFL becomes classified as a hazardous job?
There's a whole lot of money at stake here. If injuries continue to rise, something has got to give.

[Ray O. Blu]

Seems like a lot of folks feel that Detroit lost the game because of the bad call.
That wasn't the last play of the game.
If they just put Megatron in on the play that EVERYONE ON EARTH (except for Detroit's coaches) knew was going to be a hail mary, he could've out jumped anyone for the ball.

Chalk it up to one of the worst defensive plays ever in an obvious hail mary situation, not the prior play.

[TitansFan4Life]

Originally Posted by Rblu-Dblu

I don't think the same rules apply there because he was a runner at that point, not a passer.

True.

Still not a bad call though IMO.

If they hadn't called it, I guarantee there would've been just as many people complaining about it. It could've gone either way.

The real dumb call was that the defender went that high on Rodgers with 0 seconds left in a situation where he was already dead to rights. And the other bad call was the Lions Hail Mary defense. Pathetic.

[Tony208]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

you can see his helmet physically move on his head and cover different parts of his face......he hit the facemask......so even if it's not a a facemask, it's an illegal blow to the head which is still a penalty.

again, it was the ref behind Rodgers that threw the flag.....w/the way his helmet spun around, any QB would've gotten that call.

any contact with the helmet is not a penalty, it has to be a forcible blow

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Tony208

any contact with the helmet is not a penalty, it has to be a forcible blow

oh please......a slap on top of the helmet as a defender is going past the QB gets a flag thrown.

and again, go back and watch Rodgers' helmet move......it wouldn't move like that if it wasn't hit by someone.