After Further Review: Black and white stripes black-and-blue in center field

Here are the calls that are making news:

• Tough day for the back judges. Both Billy Smith (above) and Dale Shaw got a little too close to the action. They brushed it off, and thankfully remained in the game. Judging the flight of the ball for proper positioning is certainly on the officials’ training tape this week, with a re-spot on a Thursday night punt also entering the mix. More in our quick calls. [Football Zebras]
• Line judge Jeff Seeman is back on the field after missing all of preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season.
• Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson was flagged for a defenseless receiver hit (video). Goldson was suspended earlier this year, but it was reduced to a $100,000 fine as a repeat offender. The NFL will review the hit for potential discipline Monday morning [Mike Florio, PFT]. According to our analysis in the quick calls, look for a suspension announcement before Monday Night Football.
• Mike Pereira on a few items in his wrapup, including:
  • Should the NFL have a blood rule like other sports?
  • Bills quarterback E.J. Manuel delayed taking a knee and was a live target. [Fox]
• Despite that he was a live target, it doesn’t mean he can be roughed. Referee Jerome Boger told Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs “The thing was that his helmet came off” and that he must err on the side of safety. [Aaron Wilson, Bal Sun]
• Muhammad Wilkerson was told by an official that his hit that injured Titans quarterback Jake Locker was “clean.” [AP]
• A horse-collar tackle on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was correctly not a foul, because he was in the pocket. [Dave Bryan, Yardbarker]
• “They threw a flag. You see the laundry on the ground. You ask the ref, ‘Who’s that on?’ And he points to you.” — Bears lineman Kyle Long on a hands-to-the-face penalty. [Mark Potash, Chi Sun-T]
• Vikings safety Harrison Smith on an unnecessary roughness call “I didn’t launch. … I don’t really know what else to do in that situation” [Ben Goessling, ESPN]
• Chiefs coach Andy Reid challenged a play “gentlemanly” by tossing the red flag to head linesman Greg Bradley, who caught it. [Deadspin] Then, in our partner discussion forum, we heard that Terry McAulay announced the challenge was successful: “Philadelphia will not be charged a timeout.” Um, yeah, I don’t work there anymore. [goldfishbw, Behind the Football Stripes]
• And, in case you missed it on Thursday, here is a 71-yard fair catch kick attempt. [NFL video]

Some of our tweets:

Walt Coleman tried to review a Patriots challenge and then…

Wow! Replay blew a fuse!

— Football Zebras.com (@footballzebras) September 30, 2013

After two minutes, Coleman could not render a verdict, which someone asked:

No. Rules prohibit. Should they? That’s good question RT @jcaustin87 Couldn’t the replay official take a gander and tell the R what he saw?

— Football Zebras.com (@footballzebras) September 30, 2013

Terry McAulay runs such an efficient ship that at least twice Fox didn’t yet have camera/audio on him when he announced penalty

— Football Zebras.com (@footballzebras) September 29, 2013

Serious question: How knowledgeable are Europeans about American Football rules/penalties?

— Alec Campbell (@AlecCampbell5) September 29, 2013

@footballzebras same could be said about some of the refs doing these games

— drj (@johnston_dr) September 29, 2013

(Obligatory.)

Image: Donn Jones/Tenneessee Titans