# NFL Week 9 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 2, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874 "2018-11-02T02:10:49Z")\ **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:** [November 4, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/21 "2018-11-04T23:31:54Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > Yeah, that TD review was pretty bad. I guess you could _maybe_ say it’s not 100% clear that his heel actually touched down, but it looked like it did to me. I think the argument being made to support the call was that it’s a white shoe on a white line, etc. To be fair with the momentum the Chargers had at the time I don’t doubt they would have scored soon after anyway. They’d have been on the 8-9 yard line if he was ruled out. But still, I don’t recall the last time I heard optometrist jokes so often in a game by commentators. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/22 "2018-11-05T00:15:02Z")
Spoke to soon about the Saints and Rams and now it’s a game again ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/23 "2018-11-05T00:28:05Z")
Hawks lost, because Russell was uncharacteristically inaccurate (missing wide-open guys on big throws and his third pick-six of his career). And the injury bug decided to hit them today, taking away some important pieces. Russell then came very close to a comeback with exactly zero seconds on the clock (untimed play at the goal line) but not quite. I worry that their playoff chances will be the same, almost but barely missing it. But not bad for a team many wrote off as being in a total rebuild. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/24 "2018-11-05T00:50:49Z")
And the Saints pull it out with ridiculous play by Alvin Kamara + Michael Thomas (and Brees, of course) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/25 "2018-11-05T00:52:11Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Spoke to soon about the Saints and Rams and now it’s a game again With all the crap early in the year about how the defense would have no chance with the new anti-concussion rules, I think it’s kind of irrelevant. It seems like a good scheme, with a good passer, has receivers open by 10 yards play, after play, after play. It’s starting to look like my strategy in Madden '99 would be viable in today’s NFL, call four vertical routes on every down. You just need one out of 4 plays to connect and score, 🙂 ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/26 "2018-11-05T01:01:54Z")
I enjoy watching Drew Brees play football more than any other player. I’m not a Saints fan, but damn if that guy doesn’t display mastery of the game on a consistent basis. I’m only old enough to have seen the tail end of the Staubach/Tarkenton/Bradshaw era …then Marino/Fouts and more modern greats, but if Brees isn’t among the best to ever play the position then I don’t know who is. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/27 "2018-11-05T01:11:35Z")
Cheers to the '72 Dolphins. Enjoy that bubbly another year. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/28 "2018-11-05T01:23:38Z")
Saints/Rams was an awesome game. Bears beat the Bills, but it would have been embarrassing if they didn’t. Honestly I’m a fan but I think the Bears are the beneficiaries of an easy schedule up to this point. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/29 "2018-11-05T01:24:19Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Cheers to the '72 Dolphins. Enjoy that bubbly another year. 😃 One kind of good-feely note I had earlier after having the same thought and clicking through the roster, is how many of them are still around and seemingly going strong. With all the health problems you hear about it’s good to be reminded of some who escaped. Also, while looking, I had never realized quite what a square-jawed comic-book hero face Earl Morral had(maybe trim those caterpillars above his eyes though). > **[Earl Morrall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Morrall)** > > Earl Edwin Morrall (/ˈmɔːrəl/; May 17, 1934 – April 25, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, both a starter and reserve. He started for six teams, most notably with the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins. He became known as one of the greatest backup quarterbacks in NFL history, having served in the capacity for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. An injury to Unitas in 1968... ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/30 "2018-11-05T03:43:26Z")
Not a fan of the officiating tonight. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/31 "2018-11-05T03:45:11Z")
Nor the injuries. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/32 "2018-11-05T03:48:40Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > It seems like a good scheme, with a good passer, has receivers open by 10 yards play, after play, after play. And the Pats and Pack decided to make me look stupid, thanks guys. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/33 "2018-11-05T03:55:44Z")
Not a fan of turnovers either. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/34 "2018-11-05T03:58:50Z")
However, I am a fan of trick plays like that. Great play call by the Pats. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/35 "2018-11-05T13:02:23Z")
Can anyone explain to me the penalty on the Chiefs just before halftime? Was it delay of game, or intentional grounding? Or both? Radio and TV commentators were using both terms, but neither was really explaining what happened. As best as I could tell, Mahomes thought the play clock had started, snapped the ball and spiked it. I can see how that would be delay of game if the play clock did not actually start. But intentional grounding? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/36 "2018-11-05T13:12:56Z")
IIRC the rule for intentional grounding says a player can only spike the ball to stop the clock. Since the clock wasn’t running - intentional grounding. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/37 "2018-11-05T13:46:43Z")
Glad I went to sleep when I did (right after the fumble) Brian ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/38 "2018-11-05T13:49:56Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > IIRC the rule for intentional grounding says a player can only spike the ball to stop the clock. Since the clock wasn’t running - intentional grounding. OK that makes sense. And the articles I’m reading this morning do call it intentional grounding, so it makes me wonder why they sometimes were calling it a delay of game penalty? (Which would only be five yards, not ten, anyway, right?) ---
**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:** [November 5, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/39 "2018-11-05T22:40:23Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > OK that makes sense. And the articles I’m reading this morning do call it intentional grounding, so it makes me wonder why they sometimes were calling it a delay of game penalty? (Which would only be five yards, not ten, anyway, right?) Intentional Grounding is also a loss of down. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874/40 "2018-11-05T23:16:36Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Intentional Grounding is also a loss of down. Correct, and it also carries a 10-second runoff in the last two minutes. Which is why the Chiefs were then forced to use their last timeout, which avoided the runoff. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-9/823874.md?page=3)