There certainly isn't anything about losing possession during transferring the ball from one hand to another in the NFL rule book. However I don't think that's what was happening. Branch got to his knee and during that the ball started to move in his hand. Such movement according to the rule I quoted is not loss of possession. When Pace hit him Branch grabbed the ball with both hands (and thereby maintained control). As Pace moved through the tackle from Branch's right to left he put his hand in to strip the ball, forcing it out of Branch's two hand grip to his left hand which grabbed the ball for a brief instant before the ball popped out. If you watch the video there is a spot in the process where Branch clearly grabs the ball with both hands and has a grip on it after being hit by Pace. That is clear control. The play is dead. Also you can officially quote me that the NFL Rule Book sucks. It is horribly written and poorly organized. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx9GkiEcZ0I Replay at 1:00.
At first, I thought the call was bogus. After multiple replays, Branch was down with control with Pace making the tackle (Touching). The Ref made the right call. SOJFs need to get over it.
It was the incorrect call, the ball was moving before he got touched. he was losing possession. Did the call cost us the game? Nope, we had a million chances after that and we failed, good teams overcome bad calls and we failed to do so but it was a bad call.
I never said it cost us the game. The Jets would have lost without this play. I'm tired of whiny SOJF fans using the refs as an excuse. You're wrong. Branch had possession was on one knee and Pace touched him, than the ball came out. Branch was already down when he tried to get up and make a move than the ball came free. If it was the wrong call, the league would be offering an apology, or at least their weak form of one.
I am correct, I slowed it down frame by frame and the ball clearly moves BEFORE he is touched. he begins to lose possession before he is touched. It was a bad call but again it didn't cost us the game. The league doesn't issue apologies every week for bad calls. It was an extremely close play that should not have bene overturned. if they called him down on the field I wouldn't have had a problem w/ them not reversing it- that's how close it was BUT they called it a fumble on the field and they did not have clear evidence to overturn.
The first thing i thought of on that play was the play Cotch had 3 years ago at home in the Rain/Wind Shit Bowl vs the Broncos when Bert was still the QB. Cotch caught a punt and went right to the ground...some douche bag Bronco nailed him while he was already on the ground...the ball came squirting out and Denver got it. Now explain to me how Branch was down as soon as he was touched but Cotch wasnt. I understand the plays are years apart but Id be very interested to hear the NFLs reasoning why those plays were called differently. I realize this will never happen but anyone have a clue?
This might be the funniest thread I have ever read. Are you guys serious? What type of television do you have? Burress was clearly out, foot on line. There is no question. As for Branch, they freeze the picture and show Branch's knee down when Pace touches him. Play dead right there. So what if he is "getting up." If you are laying flat on the ground and pick up your head, you're not down because you're "getting up?" LOL. The funny thing is, what if branch got up and ran into the end zone and scored? You would be saying "HE WAS DOWN!" So pathetic... The Patriots were the ones who got jobbed. If this were 15 years ago (or whatever) without replay, the Pats would have been screwed. By the way: From Mike Pereira: "This was a good challenge by New England. When an offensive player has possession of the ball while on the ground, he is considered to be down at the instant he is touched by a defender. Although Branch shifted the ball from his right to his left hand, the contact actually came before the ball moved from one hand to the other. Even if the ball was being shifted when the contact occurred, I do not consider that loss of possession. Once again, the key is that as long as Branch’s knee was on the ground the play becomes dead immediately when he is first touched." Besides a few delusional Jets fans and players... NO ONE is even disputing these calls... Oh, and the penalty cry. Did you watch the replay when Simms talks about Revis on Welker? Did you see the nice grab by Revis? Stop crying.. they call some and they let some go.
Burress was out but the ball was moving before Branch got touched. Watch the play again and go frame by frame, this should not have been overturned as there wasn't enough evidence.
Once again, did you READ what Fox's Mike Pereira (Former Vice President of Officiating) said? Do I have to copy/paste it again? Well.. I will: "Although Branch shifted the ball from his right to his left hand, the contact actually came before the ball moved from one hand to the other. Even if the ball was being shifted when the contact occurred, I do not consider that loss of possession." What is so hard to understand? Also, why do people claim "not enough evidence". Do you have the same technology the NFL does? I remember a few years back they had a Ravens/Steelers Goal line controversy and the technology they used the next week to analyze it was amazing... Sorry, but your TV doesn't have that... pretty sure.
I don't care what he said, he obviously didn't examine it that closely if he says he was touched before the ball moved b/c he was tocuhed AFTER he began to lose the ball. Perreira also has been wrong about a few of his judgements this season w/ controversial calls. That call didn't cost us the game, NE deserved to win BUT it was a bad call.
Perreira is a shill for the officials. He's almost always going to justify their decisions, and save them from their own incompetence.
Tell me njunc, when did you start to wear that tinfoil hat. Before the alien abduction of after. :wink: You need to check the definition of "obsessive compulsive". There was no 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll. Branch was down. Plex was out of bounds. The Revis PI was ridiculous, but he got away with some too. The refs also missed the call on Cromartie in the end zone and a bunch of holds on both sides. Get over it. I'm shocked that this thread is still going and ashamed that I have participated in its continuation.
So every opinion that actually matters is saying the call was right? Pretty obvious, I don't know how this is still being argued. It isn't the same as the cotchery play or any other play someone wants to parade out to make their wrong point less wrong.
I think the issue is still that the play is dead the second Branch was touched as his knee was clearly down. Any movement of the ball was minimal at that point. It wasn't until after Branch was touched that the ball became loose (with additional contact by Pace btw). Maybe the refs screwed up the Cotchery call?
I didn't argue the Plax call, did I? Branch was not touched down before the ball started to come free. I also said the bad call(which it was) did not cost us the game, NE deserved to win but it was still a bad call. The ball moved before he was touched down, he was losing it before he got touched. It was a fumble but again it didn't cost us the game. if it was called down on the field I wouldn't have had a problem but there just wasn't evidence to overturn that call.
