LETS GO LIONS!!!!!!

[ColeStratton]

I think I agree with the call ... its the receivers fault. Think of it in baseball terms, if it was an outfielder that caught the game winning catch... or even an infielder that made a diving barehanded catch... he better damn sure lift the ball UP.

Have you seen the play? You can't very well hold a ball up when you are crashing to the turf with a defender on top of you, all the while concentrating on having control of the ball (which he did), getting both feet in bounds (which he did) and bracing yourself for impact (which he did). He had that ball for nearly an eternity before his hand brought it to the turf. I see receivers toss the ball into the stands after having it for less time in their hands, and there's never a doubt about the completion. Lions got hosed by a weird rule that I've never once heard muttered in all my years watching football. "Part of the process..."

[Minnesota]

I think I agree with the call ... its the receivers fault. Think of it in baseball terms, if it was an outfielder that caught the game winning catch... or even an infielder that made a diving barehanded catch... he better damn sure lift the ball UP.

Have you seen the play? You can't very well hold a ball up when you are crashing to the turf with a defender on top of you, all the while concentrating on having control of the ball (which he did), getting both feet in bounds (which he did) and bracing yourself for impact (which he did). He had that ball for nearly an eternity before his hand brought it to the turf. I see receivers toss the ball into the stands after having it for less time in their hands, and there's never a doubt about the completion. Lions got hosed by a weird rule that I've never once heard muttered in all my years watching football. "Part of the process..."

I guess I don't disagree that he had complete control of the ball, the problem is that he never established control 'after the ball touched the ground' it was a stupid mistake by the receiver. Or maybe I'm wrong and just being stubborn on this one ( not one person I've talked to yet has agreed with me ).

[Bob]

Yeah, that was rough.   I think everyone pretty much agrees on:

1.  Poor Lions
2.  The refs made the call correctly.
3.  The rule sucks and should be changed

Kind of reminds me of one time the (then) St. Louis football cardinals were playing Dallas, we went for it on fourth down and it was going to be close.   When they measured the ball, they measured the ball SIDEWAYS instead of the normal way.   Naturally, we were half an inch short.   I have NEVER seen that before or since.   My dad and I were watching a college game this weekend and the refs were measuring for a first down and I asked my dad what he was thinking about at that moment and he started laughing and said "the sideways measurement".