# NFL 2021: Week Two Gentlemen of Verona **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [September 16, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758 "2021-09-16T14:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/21 "2021-09-17T03:47:17Z")
LOL the game ended perfectly. Down 2, WFT kicks a FG with 5 seconds left and it goes wide right. But NY says, “Not so fast, you can’t beat us at sucking, let us show you how it’s done!” And get called offsides. So WFT kicks again 5 yards closer and barely makes it in to win by 1 with 0 seconds on the clock. Okay Giants, you win the contest of who is worse. Well-played. ETA: Nice factoid on the TV, the Giants are 0-2 for the 5th year in a row. That is some impressive consistency. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/22 "2021-09-17T03:53:18Z")
I saw a tweet that said the Giants are the only team not to have a winning record at any point in the last 4? 5? years. Didn’t verify it but sounds plausible. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/23 "2021-09-17T04:02:32Z")
Dang. Good job, WFT. Let’s be honest, there was a lot of luck involved there. But came out with the win and that’s all that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/24 "2021-09-17T14:25:18Z")
Someone has to get the last laugh in a comedy of errors, I’m glad it was us! ETA: I still don’t fully understand discourse, why did it delete my quote of the previous post? Just because it was previous? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/25 "2021-09-17T14:47:05Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > ETA: I still don’t fully understand discourse, why did it delete my quote of the previous post? Just because it was previous? Yes. If you quote the _entirety_ of the last post just before your own, it will delete the quote. Here is one of a number of discussions about that feature on this board: > [@May we enable the ability to quote the entire previous post?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-enable-the-ability-to-quote-the-entire-previous-post/918126): > > I have mostly gotten used to deleting a period or letter from previous posts, but I sometimes forget and the system edits my post to delete it. I get the idea, but when I quote a previous post, it is always a very short little question or statement I am responding to. Is it possible to turn off that “system edit” it does when we quote the entire previous post? Note that it **will** show me quoting you in this post because I didn’t quote the entirety of your post. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/26 "2021-09-17T15:24:40Z")
That game was on Fox for me, but maybe that’s because I’m in the Giants area. That offsides at the last second was brutal. What a terrible mistake! Given how few blocked field goals there are, I can’t imagine that jumping the gun is worth the risk. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/27 "2021-09-17T15:32:47Z")
This is tangential to football, but the NWSL is taking a similar approach to the NFL on forfeits due to COVID outbreaks among unvaccinated players. The Sept 4 match between the Portland Thorns and Washington Spirit was originally postponed due to positive tests on the Spirit and lax attention to COVID protocols, and yesterday was declared a forfeit, with the Thorns awarded a 3-0 victory. It was the second forfeit and breach of protocol for the Spirit, and included a $25K fine. I don’t want an NFL game to be decided by forfeit, but I also wouldn’t mind some consequences for the unvaccinated players. Let them become pariahs among their teammates and fans. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/28 "2021-09-17T16:12:35Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > That offsides at the last second was brutal. I still think the dropped TD from Jones to Slayton was worse. To me that play encapsulated this matchup. Slayton gets wide open because of a blown coverage; I suspect that the guy covering him expected to get help that wasn’t there. But he was left completely alone, nobody even close to him, for what should have been an easy touchdown. As the announcers stated, players don’t get an opportunity like that very often in the NFL. So that play was a great demonstration of the WFT really blowing it defensively. Not only was the coverage bad, but Jones had no pressure and was able to stand there and just huck it in the air. So there were defensive problems both up front and in back. And yet, Jones slightly overthrew the pass (maybe, I’m not certain, but he could have made it easier). Slayton still should have caught it, but didn’t. It literally bounced out of his hands. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_1MoDushqX8/maxresdefault.jpg "Darius Slayton Drops WIDE Open Touchdown | Giants vs Washington Football Team") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1MoDushqX8) If he catches that, it’s a 30-20 game and with that gap I doubt WFT is able to come back enough to win it. Sure, the game ended 30-29 in favor of Washington, but the Giants would have likely been able to get at least another field goal in there. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/29 "2021-09-17T17:20:12Z")
I expected the Football Team to blow out the Giants, or at least easily control that game. Sort of surprising that they had to win it on a field goal with time expiring - and a second-chance field goal at that. Speaking of… I only saw the replay briefly, but I’m not fully sure he was offside at all. And to be fair, I’m not completely sure what the offside rule is precisely. I’m pretty sure Lawrence was not in the ‘neutral zone’ until the center had already moved the ball back from the neutral zone. But he might have been in the neutral zone prior to the ball leaving the center’s hands. Incidentally, I thought the same about Jamal Adams’s offside during the Seahawks/Colts game last week, too. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/30 "2021-09-17T17:28:36Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > I only saw the replay briefly, but I’m not fully sure he was offside at all. And to be fair, I’m not completely sure what the offside rule is precisely. The offside penalty is called if a defensive lineman lines up in the neutral zone prior to the snap. If a lineman is lined up properly and then enters the neutral zone prior to the snap, it’s a neutral zone infraction. And if he touches an offensive lineman before the snap that’s encroachment. So my WAG is that it doesn’t matter if he jumped prior to the snap, if he lined up too close to begin with that would have drawn the penalty. I couldn’t tell from the televised replay where he was lined up since the replay shows him moving. > [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Incidentally, I thought the same about Jamal Adams’s offside during the Seahawks/Colts game last week, too. Seahawks fan here and I’ll say Adams might have gotten away with one there. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/31 "2021-09-17T17:32:22Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > The offside penalty is called if a defensive lineman lines up in the neutral zone prior to the snap. If a lineman is lined up properly and then enters the neutral zone prior to the snap, it’s a neutral zone infraction. And if he touches an offensive lineman before the snap that’s encroachment. The neutral zone infraction, I believe, requires the OL to respond. IE, the DL can jump into the neutral zone all he wants - if he gets back before the ball is snapped, all is good. But as soon as the OL responds (pre-snap), the play is whistled dead. It’s either a false start if the DL hadn’t crossed the line, or a NZI if he did. I don’t think anyone thinks Lawrence lined up in the neutral zone. Just that he jumped early. > [@Atamasama](#): > > Seahawks fan here and I’ll say Adams might have gotten away with one there. Not sure what you mean. He was flagged. How did he ‘get away with one’? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/32 "2021-09-17T17:37:14Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Not sure what you mean. He was flagged. How did he ‘get away with one’? Sorry, I thought you were talking about the 4th down play where Wentz fumbled the snap and Adams jumped over the line. I thought Adams got away with offsides there which would have negated the turnover and given a first down to Indy. You’re talking about the offsides call on Adams earlier in the game which negated a sack on Wentz. Even to my eye in real time as it happened he looked to have jumped the snap, that seemed like an easy call. (I sound rough on the Seahawks right now for a lifetime fan, but they were dominant enough in that game I feel like I can nitpick them.) ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/33 "2021-09-17T17:38:49Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > And yet, Jones slightly overthrew the pass (maybe, I’m not certain, but he could have made it easier). Slayton still should have caught it, but didn’t. It literally bounced out of his hands. I’m kinda surprised how much heat Slayton is getting. Yes, he should have caught it, but it wasn’t anything near an easy catch. I really wish I could see the alternate angles to see just how close it was, but from the TV feed, it looked like he (unnecessarily) had to fully extend and the ball went off his extended fingers. It didn’t appear to me that it was a routine easy catch. Why “Daniel Dimes” isn’t getting a little splashback (seeing as how there were no defenders within 20 effin yards) for not taking a bit off the ball to make it an easy catch, is beyond me. Maybe it’s his cool nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/34 "2021-09-17T17:40:09Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Even to my eye in real time as it happened he looked to have jumped the snap, that seemed like an easy call. I saw it differently. And that’s putting aside the fact that the play clock was at zero, since NFL officials have long seemed to think that they get to apply some arbitrary amount of time after that before calling delay of game. Anyway, I’m a Seahawks fan too, and I know I’m biased, so I didn’t post about it in last week’s thread. I only bring it up here because I don’t give a rat’s ass about who wins between the Giants and the Football Team, so I think I was pretty unbiased on that one. And that leads me to think that officials are calling offsides a mite-bit too aggressively. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/35 "2021-09-17T17:51:56Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > The neutral zone infraction, I believe, requires the OL to respond. IE, the DL can jump into the neutral zone all he wants - if he gets back before the ball is snapped, all is good. But as soon as the OL responds (pre-snap), the play is whistled dead. It’s either a false start if the DL hadn’t crossed the line, or a NZI if he did. The OL doesn’t have to respond. Here is the rule on NFL’s site: > **[Neutral Zone Infraction | NFL Football Operations](https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-video-rulebook/neutral-zone-infraction/)** There are multiple situations that might cause the flag, and the OL responding is only part of one of those situations. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/36 "2021-09-17T17:54:02Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > There are multiple situations that might cause the flag, and the OL responding is only part of one of those situations. The third case I’ve never heard of happening. And honestly, I thought ‘unimpeded to the quarterback’ was a special case of ‘offsides’ where the play was blown dead immediately, but apparently I’m misremembering. Regardless, merely lined up in the neutral zone isn’t one of them. ETA: er, correct that to: merely jumping into the neutral zone isn’t one of them… ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/37 "2021-09-17T17:54:05Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Why “Daniel Dimes” isn’t getting a little splashback (seeing as how there were no defenders within 20 effin yards) for not taking a bit off the ball to make it an easy catch, is beyond me. Maybe it’s his cool nickname. That’s why I allowed for the possibility that it was overthrown. In my eyes it _seemed_ to be. And it’s not like he needed to toss it before he got hit; he had time. He stepped up to put momentum into the throw and was given space to do it properly, and I would think a better passer could have put it in an easier spot. Especially since he didn’t have to put it in a place where a defender could interfere. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/38 "2021-09-17T17:57:23Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > ETA: er, correct that to: merely jumping into the neutral zone isn’t one of them… Correct. But he had better move back out of the neutral zone before the snap or he will get the flag. From that page: > If there is no immediate reaction by the offensive player(s) in close proximity, **and the defensive player returns to a legal position prior to the snap** without contacting an opponent, there is no foul. (Bolding mine of course.) Lining up in the neutral zone and sitting there prior to the snap will draw the flag. Moving into the neutral zone and not moving back out of it prior to the snap will draw the flag. Moving into the neutral zone, causing the OL to react, then moving back prior to the snap will draw the flag. To avoid the flag you’d have to enter the neutral zone, have the OL not react, then move back out of the neutral zone before the snap. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/39 "2021-09-17T17:58:57Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Moving into the neutral zone and not moving back out of it prior to the snap will draw the flag. For offsides. The play continues, and the offense has the option to decline the penalty. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758/40 "2021-09-17T18:00:27Z")
There is a photo [from here](https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/09/17/the-darius-slayton-misfire-dropped-pass-or-less-than-perfect-throw/) (warning: it’s profootball talk, a site that is flooded with those idiotic autoplays and shitty ads everywhere. Fuck you Mike Florio). It seems, to me, to show just how tough the catch was to make. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-two-gentlemen-of-verona/950758.md?page=3)