The vaunted Seattle pass defense

While watching the game last night I kept thinking Seattle could be charged with pass interference on pretty much every pass play. Then I came across this.

"Quietly, the Seahawks have achieved a 13-3 record and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs by exploiting a loophole: NFL referees are reluctant to throw endless flags for pass interference and defensive holding, even if defenses deserve them."They look at it and say, 'We may get called for one but not 10,'" said Mike Pereira, a former NFL vice president of officiating who is now a Fox analyst"


There is a certain brilliance to this approach: Since 2001, nine teams have committed 20 or more of these penalties (including this season's Seahawks). None of them had a losing record, and most of them won big.
So many pass-interference plays meant that many more of them went uncalled, choking the life out of opposing offenses in a pass-dependent league—a big advantage for Seattle's physical brand of defense



http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303754404579310500005285822

 

I was actually thinking about this last night.

While I'm happy that "Defense STILL wins championships" despite all of Goodell's rules, many pundits raised the point that the game would be determined by how much the refs were going to call (ironic, given how some were also still going on about how the refs "robbed" them of a Superbowl against us...).

It's also true that watching just about any sport, once the refs keep stopping the play, both crowd and commentators will get annoyed. In soccer, if a ref keeps showing yellow and red cards for fouls, commentators will always say that they've "lost control of the game" (even though the opposite is, in fact, true).

The question is: is this something we need to do, or is it something which will fizzle out next year and Seattle's defense will suffer?

 

The Patriots did basically the same thing several years back against the Colts in a playoff game and the league altered the rules in the offseason. I found another article this morning where the Seattle dc teaches his defense to test the refs early in every game. That way they figure out early on how much they can get away with.

 

Harrison Principle. Every team league wide held him every play. When that happens, you only throw flags on the holds that resemble actual prison rape.

 

The 5 yard chuck rule came because P.Manning runs a timing based offense, the Patriots noticed on game film that the breaks in routes usually came in 5 or 10 yard increments so the DBs would chuck the receivers 7 yards down the field throwing off the timing of the offense and rendering Manning useless. I just can't wait to see how they change the rules now since he lost another big game.

 

I don't think it would have helped any but when I started counting and that was late. they missed about 7 pass inter calls. three were obvious and even announcers said something. whole game was officiated bad. should have been multiple personal fouls

 

And you didn't see the Broncos interference on a number of plays as well, they let them play, by the way the only TD Peyton got in this game was from a pass interference call on 4th down. Thomas got away with offensive pass interference against Sherman at the 10 yard line, the interference was so obvious I couldn't believe it didn't get called, when a team gets blown out 43-8 I guess the only thing Denver fans can do is whine about the refs....

 

I am not a Denver fan by no means but did you see the Thomas td? he caught it but no flag? welker got tackled going across the middle once and no call. I know they let them play but if you watched the game you have to know that seattle got away with more

 

funny that they called an interference late in the game on thomas when was only a late push after the ball was out of reach and in triple coverage . that was like ok i will give you something when it doesn't matter

 

I thought this was funny. he said that the way the game was called mel blount could have played db for the hawks. he is a cowboys fan and hates blount. lol

 

The Seahawks were penalized 10 times for 104yds. The Broncos were penalized 5 for 44. So that was in total favor of the broncos last night and Peyton still got his forehead/butt kicked.

 

there is also the broncos offense that runs short routes a lot. you have 5 yards to beat a wr up. when most of the routes are run within 10 yards the PI calls are not nearly called as much and it would benefit a team to consistently test the refs in this range. it's the teams that go downfield more that could benefit from the seattle theory. that's when it will show up more. the broncos didn't and played right into the seachickens hands.

 

I don't get that! If they're (refs) gonna "let them play" then "let them play" all season! Not just the Super Bowl. If they'r gonna call all the penalties then do it in the Super Bowl too!

 

Unless they are going against us. LOL. Really I would like to see the stat sheets for all these refs to see how they had all individually called PI through this season to see if it was consistent with last night. I just want to be totally clear though I that I don't feel the refs had any bearing on the outcome of this game whatsoever.

 

Lol.

It's funny cos it's true.

 

It is the John Thompson principle applied to football. Everyone foul at once, they can't call them all.

 

I agree. but we all know it happens. like they wont call pass interference on the last play of the game. unless you are the pats. I think in big games the officials don't want to be a story and the players know that. they can get away with more. I don't blame the seahawks. hell if they aint calling it, do it

 

I wish Ike got the same amount of love... Hahahaha he's a gimme for a p.i. Quite a bit.

 

Seattle did it right. Get in the face of the WR's and disrupt the routes as opposed to sitting back in a zone with the CB's 15 yards off the line of scrimmage.

 

I'm surprised the Steelers get any PI calls with the CB's playing ten yards off the WR?

 

"Pass Interference - no. 28. Defender's judgemental stare from a distance made the receiver insecure about his personal appearance, and therefore unable to complete the reception. 15 yards, automatic first down."

 

I think the refs had to let them play a little more and should do so in the regular season as well. Look at how the Seahawks cried over the calls when the Steelers beat them in the super bowl, were the calls tacky, yes but they all were legitimate penalties. The first TD that was called back was a blatant push off, it wouldn't have mattered if he didn't push off but because he did it was called. I think you are going to see more super bowls called like this so the refs don't get any blame for a big game, it will help some teams and hurt others.

 

Yeah, I dont really get that either.

 

It was rigged. Seatle was suppose to win. Not much on conspiracy theories but can officiating really be that terrible? And if it truly is related to the shiat officating how come the bad calls were lopsided?

[video]http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhs03U5ys3du70T9YW[/video]

 

I agree that was the worst officiated NFL game I have ever seen.

I don't believe the NFL intentionally rigs games- the game sells itself but proving the game is rigged would destroy gambling associated with it and be a huge black eye in the media.

"How I Rigged the NFL" would be a best-selling book if someone did rig it. Too much to lose with nothing to gain and no way to keep the participants quiet.

Home teams seem to get more help from officials.

In the end, Kaepernick and the inability to have a running game cost the 9ers the win.

That Superbowl win will keep Seahawks fans from jumping off the bandwagon for a little while. Should keep Seattle in an NFL team for a few years before they leave like the Sonics.

Mariners had 1st attendance in the AL for 2 years after their 2 ALCS appearances... and are now 11th out of 15 in the AL.