# NFL Week 15 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 15, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177 "2008-12-15T00:04:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [December 15, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/1 "2008-12-15T00:04:38Z")
I can’t believe I got stuck with Carolina/Denver on TV when Pittsburgh and Baltimore are playing. I love to watch those guys beat the shit out of each other. Alright, so who’s excited for Ken Dorsey’s Monday Night Football debut? Has there ever been a team that has started 3 different QBs on MNF in a season? Somehow I doubt it… ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/2 "2008-12-15T01:51:57Z")
Once again the Packers wrench defeat from the claws of victory… Brian ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/3 "2008-12-15T06:42:25Z")
Officials controversy of the week: the Pittsburgh score at the end of the game. The explanation by the ref implied that the NFL fails to understand their own rules. Do you suppose he was trying to say that the receiver had two feet down in the endzone AND that the ball had broken the plane? Regardless, that was a travesty of an overturned call (and I was completely indifferent as to the outcome of the game). ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/4 "2008-12-15T07:29:38Z")
Care to let us know what he did say? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/5 "2008-12-15T07:56:41Z")
He said that the receiver had both feet down in the endzone with possession of the ball. Touchdown. The unfortunate part is that isn’t the rule. In fact, it doesn’t matter one bit whether his feet were in the endzone or not, making his explanation either irrelevant or outright wrong. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/6 "2008-12-15T08:02:51Z")
> [@flex727](#): > > Officials controversy of the week: the Pittsburgh score at the end of the game. The explanation by the ref implied that the NFL fails to understand their own rules. Do you suppose he was trying to say that the receiver had two feet down in the endzone AND that the ball had broken the plane? Regardless, that was a travesty of an overturned call (and I was completely indifferent as to the outcome of the game). Tell me about it. I’m a Ravens fan, so let me preface my remarks about the call with a few disclaimers: 1. The Ravens deserved to lose the game. They beat themselves by allowing a sack to take them out of field goal range, then letting the Steelers march 90+ yards down the field. I blame the defensive play calling; i’ll never understand why Baltimore insists on playing a loose, prevent-type defense in situations like this, rather than using the sort of aggressive, blitzing defense that had kept Pittsburgh out of the end-zone all day. 2. I initially thought the pass was a touchdown. When the officials made the call that it was no touchdown, i was happy, but rather surprised. But then i saw the replay, and it seemed to me that they probably made the right call. 3.If the officials HAD called a touchdown on the field, i wouldn’t have been surprised, and i also wouldn’t have been too upset if that decision had been upheld on review. It was so close that i think it would have been reasonable to let the call stand. But, given that the call on the field was “No touchdown,” i cannot see any way that the officials in the booth could reasonably overturn it. The standard for overturning a call is that there needs to be incontrovertible evidence that the call on the field was incorrect. I thought that the slow-motion replay demonstrated that the officials made the right call, and there is NO WAY you will ever convince me that there was sufficient evidence to overturn the call on review. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2008, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/7 "2008-12-15T09:16:49Z")
The Steelers are the “luckiest” team in the league when it comes to bad officiating. Oh they have quite a history. Question relating to this - if a receiver is in the endzone, making a toe-tapping grab at the sideline, and he catches the ball in such a way that his hands and the ball are outside the endzone, but his feet are in, is it a touchdown? In previous years, with the goal line extends to infinity thing, it has been, but I’m wondering if that has changed. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/8 "2008-12-15T14:29:41Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > The Steelers are the “luckiest” team in the league when it comes to bad officiating. Oh they have quite a history. No question about this! > [@SenorBeef](#): > > Question relating to this - if a receiver is in the endzone, making a toe-tapping grab at the sideline, and he catches the ball in such a way that his hands and the ball are outside the endzone, but his feet are in, is it a touchdown? In previous years, with the goal line extends to infinity thing, it has been, but I’m wondering if that has changed. I think the infinite goal line thing only applied to a player crossing the goal line while running with the ball.When catching a pass it’s all about the feet (and maintaining possesion when the receiver hits the ground). ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/9 "2008-12-15T14:35:00Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Once again the Packers wrench defeat from the claws of victory… > > Brian I’ll see your Packers and raise you the Chiefs. They keep saying this team is improving, but I think the only thing they’re doing better is finding creative ways to lose the game in the final minutes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/10 "2008-12-15T14:46:22Z")
\ Had the Chargers played a competent team- we would have lost our game 478-0. Fortunately we played the Chiefs and were able to decide in the fourth quarter- “Ok, guys, how about we go win this, alright.” and the Chiefs were happy to oblige. Keeping our faint playoff hopes alive. But that leaves me with a couple of thoughts. a\> We played like large piles of unfiltered excrement for large portions of the game. Our offense for the first 3 quarters of it. Our defense for the first half. Even if we were to make the playoffs- I can’t imagine that we will come out of their with anything other than an embarrassing first round playoff loss. b\> Even though we played like complete and total trash- we still managed to get really seriously jobbed on a more than one, but 3 off the top of my head, really bad ref calls- which is just incredible. They are seriously looking for ways to nail us now. It was a very very poorly officiated game. I really am starting to think that the league has it in for us for some reason. b\> of course- making the playoffs is still nifty. Even if you barely deserve it, and who knows maybe we will turn it around for the playoffs a la last years Giants. But let’s face it… we’re not going to make it. We need Denver to lose to the just eliminated Bills and we have to fly to Tampa and beat a capable Bucs team. We’re 0fer on east coast trips this year and have looked pretty bad doing it. (Miami, Buffalo, Pittsburgh). So I know when things go bad for me next week- I’ll just be crushed. The hope- it is killing me slowly. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/11 "2008-12-15T14:58:27Z")
> [@flex727](#): > > No question about this! Bull. There’s plenty of question about this…the Steelers get jobbed as much as they get “lucky”. There’s a term for this: it’s called confirmation bias. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/12 "2008-12-15T15:01:26Z")
Wow. Not much Panther love around here, huh. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/13 "2008-12-15T15:16:57Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Once again the Packers wrench defeat from the claws of victory… It’s tough watching the players turn on each other, like Harris going after Poppinga and Rodgers going after Finley. Although Finley deserves every ounce of scorn heaped upon his overrated, ego driven ass. I’m cutting Rodgers some slack, because it’s his first full season, but I wanted to see improvement while the season progressed, not regression. I also think our lines need some serious upgrades. A couple of wins against the Bears and Lions will do wonders to salvage a very disappointing season. But we better have a pretty busy offseason and draft. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/14 "2008-12-15T15:26:09Z")
I came to rant about the Chargers game, but I see that **The Tof** has ably done it for me. As it is, I’ll just say that I now understand what’s up with all the Lipitor commercials that play during these games, 'cause this whole season has consisted of Norv Turner _trying_ to give me a heart attack. If Denver manages to pull it out against Buffalo next week (or we manage to lose to Tampa, which I certainly can’t say is impossible), I’ll almost be grateful just to have the peace of mind until next year…almost. Also, what is the deal with the Rivers/LT short ball? On the rare occasion that Philly manages to throw the ball anywhere near Tomlinson (as opposed to over his head, or into the ground, or to the sideline official), he’ll drop the thing like it was covered with a piping hot bowl of Campbell’s Chunky Soup. In this one game alone, they managed to fail at this play four, count 'em, four times. What the hell, y’all? You can bomb it fifty yards to Floyd in double coverage, but you can’t hit a three-yard lateral to save your lives? Practice this for next week, or better yet, just keep dumping it to Hester since they never seem to see that coming. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/15 "2008-12-15T15:41:03Z")
My beloved Giants lost to Dallas last night. What made it worse? John Madden’s inane chatter throughout the game. “What the Giants need to do is get into the end zone if they want to win this game.” (okay I’m paraphrasing, but it’s close) ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/16 "2008-12-15T15:43:45Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I’ll see your Packers and raise you the Chiefs. > > They keep saying this team is improving, but I think the only thing they’re doing better is finding creative ways to lose the game in the final minutes. Hey, just keep it up one more week for my Dolphins. I don’t care what you do after that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/17 "2008-12-15T16:07:02Z")
> [@jali](#): > > My beloved Giants lost to Dallas last night. > > What made it worse? John Madden’s inane chatter throughout the game. > > “What the Giants need to do is get into the end zone if they want to win this game.” > > (okay I’m paraphrasing, but it’s close) Yeah, I usually mute Madden, he makes me nuts. In truth, most of them are annoying - no doubt it is a very difficult job to say interesting things for 3-4 hours straight. But they still make me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/18 "2008-12-15T16:14:58Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Wow. Not much Panther love around here, huh. There’s plenty from me, since my little brother is a Panthers nut. Suddenly they look like the best team in the NFC. We didn’t see the Denver game, but they were supremely impressive against Tampa last week. Given the state the Giants are in right now, they must be feeling great about themselves going into next week’s big game. I was at the Bills-Jets game yesterday, with my brother, a friend of his and the friend’s father. FriendDad is a Jets fan an insisted we leave just before the two minute warning because the game was obviously over. As a Bills fan, I don’t know whether to thank him or spit at him. About Dick Jauron’s playcalling, I am not so ambivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/19 "2008-12-15T16:19:43Z")
Madden is usually just plain 'ol bad, but last night was excruciating. “The first team to really establish the running game is going to win this one.” Final rushing yardage totals: NYG 72, DAL 100 “Well, like I said, Dallas totally dominated on the ground, so of course they came out on top.” Gaaaa! 100 to 72 is _not_ “dominating”! Hell, nearly 40% of Dallas’ total was on one play. For most of the game the Giants were pulling something like 3.5 YPC, while Dallas was averaging 1.0. Yet there was Madden, talking the whole time about how Dallas was just killing the Giants on the ground. Retire. Yesterday…please. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177/20 "2008-12-15T17:12:38Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > There’s plenty from me, since my little brother is a Panthers nut. Suddenly they look like the best team in the NFC. We didn’t see the Denver game, but they were supremely impressive against Tampa last week. Given the state the Giants are in right now, they must be feeling great about themselves going into next week’s big game. \ From me too. Yesterday was the first home game I missed this year (I thought I was their lucky charm…) The Panthers are hitting on all cylinders right now. Denver came out with a plan to stop their run game and the Panthers anticipated it and came out throwing. Then they went no-huddle when they saw Denver using 4 linebackers. The defense held Cutler and company to 10 points, which is pretty impressive. Next week is killing me. I’m a lifelong Giants fan, and an adoptive Panthers fan. I’m just going to hope for a good game with no major injuries and let them sort it out in the playoffs… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/477177.md?page=2)