# NFL Playoffs - 2018 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 31, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008 "2018-12-31T22:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/61 "2019-01-06T22:50:21Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > Point(s) of order: If you’re talking about the Gordon “fumble” that Baltimore took all the way back, the call on the field was never a defensive touchdown. Whistles were blown and the play was dead before the Ravens player even got his hands on the ball. Also, it wasn’t an appeal; since the call on the field was actually a Chargers TD, those are automatically reviewed (and here got reversed to Gordon called down before crossing the goal line). Thanks for the info. I saw the ref say the ruling on the field was a TD, and I assumed. This is a Bears game, alright. An awesome defense getting turnovers and saving an anemic offense from itself. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/62 "2019-01-06T23:02:27Z")
Eagles killing themselves with penalties, not being smart enough to recover a fumble, and dropping easy interceptions. Trubisky must have a horseshoe up his ass. Bizarre ruling on the catch/fumble/no recovery. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/63 "2019-01-06T23:03:36Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > I have no dog in the Chargers/Ravens fight. But I thought the previous play at the end of the third quarter, with the catch and the roll by the receiver, pretty clearly showed the ball breaking the plane before he was touched. And then I also thought the ball in Gordon’s hands broke the plane before he was down. But my opinions were overruled twice by the top men in the NFL offices in New York. I thought the first play (the catch and roll) was clearly a TD on replay, and that the next play was clearly just short. They were both very close though. While that sequence was happening, I was thinking that it would be typical Chargers to have a TD incorrectly ruled out immediately followed by a hundred yard fumble return against them. When they actually ended up with a TD on fourth down, I started to think that they really might be different than the Chargers of old. Luckily the last 6 minutes of the game reminded me of who they are :). They’ll have a chance against anyone, although winning in New England will be tough. The prospect of the Chargers hosting the AFC championship still exists! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/64 "2019-01-06T23:07:32Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Eagles killing themselves with penalties, not being smart enough to recover a fumble, and dropping easy interceptions. Trubisky must have a horseshoe up his ass. > > Bizarre ruling on the catch/fumble/no recovery. Rules guru on the broadcast says the officials didn’t know what to do and just made it up on the spot. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/65 "2019-01-06T23:25:13Z")
The official ran up and signaled incomplete while the ball was still rolling, then _picked it up_. Based on that, treating it as incomplete, no matter what else happened, was the _closest_ to the correct call, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/66 "2019-01-06T23:36:53Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Rules guru on the broadcast says the officials didn’t know what to do and just made it up on the spot. > [@DCnDC](#): > > The official ran up and signaled incomplete while the ball was still rolling, then _picked it up_. Based on that, treating it as incomplete, no matter what else happened, was the _closest_ to the correct call, I suppose. Or would it have been possible to call it a “no play” and give them the down back? What just is the rule when an official interferes by accident in fair play? No matter what I know that the call is going to be a major subject of discussion tomorrow at the league offices. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/67 "2019-01-07T00:07:27Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > The official ran up and signaled incomplete while the ball was still rolling, then _picked it up_. Based on that, treating it as incomplete, no matter what else happened, was the _closest_ to the correct call, I suppose. I can’t agree with this. It’s literally the opposite of what happened. Incomplete vs complete. Probably replaying the down is the most fair. What would they do if an official slapped down a pass or tackled a player? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/68 "2019-01-07T00:29:17Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Bizarre ruling on the catch/fumble/no recovery. Oddly enough, my brother and I were discussing this exact situation watching some NFL game in the past few weeks for some reason wondering what in the hell happens in such a case. (Must of been something similar that happened in the game, but not quite.) I guess now we know. Or do we? As a Bears fan, I did think it would have been a little cheap if the Bears got the ball at the spot of the catch and fumble. I mean, the play was ruled dead, and clearly the Eagles would have picked it up if it weren’t. But calling the blown call against the Bears (by wasting the down and ruling it an incomplete) also seems a bit cheap to me. Replaying the down as if it never happened seems the fairest outcome, but does it happen? And what would have happened if a Bear picked up the ball? The play was whistled dead, right? ---
**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:** [January 7, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/69 "2019-01-07T00:50:54Z")
Wow that was a clunker of an ending for the Bears. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/70 "2019-01-07T00:51:25Z")
I was wrong. It wasn’t boring. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/71 "2019-01-07T00:51:32Z")
The Bears had better fire that kicker _tonight._ ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/72 "2019-01-07T00:52:21Z")
Wow…what a way for Chicago’s season to end. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/73 "2019-01-07T00:54:03Z")
+2 in turnovers, but a loss. Rough go for Bears fans. Imagine this Bears team with Mahommes. Oofa. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/74 "2019-01-07T00:55:43Z")
That’s gotta hurt in the balls. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/75 "2019-01-07T00:57:18Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > That’s gotta hurt in the balls. My sister (no balls) is a huge Bears fan. It’s tough. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/76 "2019-01-07T00:57:17Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > The Bears had better fire that kicker _tonight._ I was telling my wife, “Chicago will forgive you if you make this.” Whelp. I mean, how sick was that? Not only did it hit the uprights, but it also his the crossbar, and managed to bounce out instead of in! Anybody following the Bears could see this as a fitting end. In November, Parkey hit the uprights FOUR TIMES in a game (two on PATs, two on FG attempts.) Somehow, this ending makes sense. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/77 "2019-01-07T00:59:00Z")
Little injury trivia: If the Seattle kicker had pulled his quad (rather than a hammy) doing that FG attempt…? His career as a long range-kicker is pretty much over. At least trying to hit anything that far out. Cause it means he can no longer go out there and try and kick a ball as hard as he can. He can only “Kick as hard as he can without pulling a muscle.” ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/78 "2019-01-07T01:01:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Oddly enough, my brother and I were discussing this exact situation watching some NFL game in the past few weeks for some reason wondering what in the hell happens in such a case. (Must of been something similar that happened in the game, but not quite.) I guess now we know. Or do we? > > As a Bears fan, I did think it would have been a little cheap if the Bears got the ball at the spot of the catch and fumble. I mean, the play was ruled dead, and clearly the Eagles would have picked it up if it weren’t. But calling the blown call against the Bears (by wasting the down and ruling it an incomplete) also seems a bit cheap to me. Replaying the down as if it never happened seems the fairest outcome, but does it happen? And what would have happened if a Bear picked up the ball? The play was whistled dead, right? I didn’t even know til last night that you can dropkick a kickoff. So can you do a kickoff without a stand? If i stand right over the ball, put my foot under it and lob it 10 yards, can they call a fair catch even if the ball started on the ground? Cause I could turn just about any kick into a 10 yard jump ball that way. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/79 "2019-01-07T01:08:19Z")
Parkey must hold the record for most kicks hitting the upright in a season. What a wild card weekend. Three of the four games were within one score or less. Cowboys by 2, Chargers by 6, Eagles by 1. Furthermore, the visiting team won three out of those four games. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008/80 "2019-01-07T01:10:07Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I can’t agree with this. It’s literally the opposite of what happened. Incomplete vs complete. > > Probably replaying the down is the most fair. > > What would they do if an official slapped down a pass or tackled a player? Assuming you mean as an intentional act, my guess is, the play would stand, but the official would promptly be ejected by his fellow officials and fired ASAP by the NFL. If it’s the head referee himself who does those shenanigans, though…welp. I guess his assistants would mutiny and someone would get promoted to be the new ref on the spot? But if it’s unintentional, then the refs/officials are considered “part of the field” and it’s just considered unfortunate. The pass is incomplete and the runner is down by contact (if someone from the opposing defense swoops by to touch him while he’s down.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-2018-edition/827008.md?page=5)