Wild Card quick calls: Chiefs at Colts

Sat • 7:52 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 7:50 pm EDT • Ben Austro

4:17 | 3rd Qtr. The crew allowed the Colts to call a timeout, but a foul should have precluded it. It is a foul if there are 12 defensive players in formation and the snap is imminent. All of those conditions were met, and it is a snap-killing foul. By virtue of it being a snap-killing foul, the defense cannot bail out of it by calling a timeout.

Counting the offensive players is the responsibility of the referee, umpire, head linesman, and line judge. However, it appears that they did not rule the snap to be imminent, thus allowing the timeout.

While a 12 men on the field foul can be called by a replay review, defensive-12 in formation cannot be reviewed.

Sat • 7:43 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 7:30 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

5:44 | 3rd Qtr. (video)

Outstanding call by head linesman Steve Stelljes, #22 on this Husain Abdullah interception.  He had to judge whether or not Abdullah had control of the ball, plus two feet inbounds.  Gold star on that call.

Sat • 7:30 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Luck was able to advance his own team’s fumble. Only fumbles inside of two minutes of the end of the half or fumbles on 4th down are restricted (those can only be advanced by the fumbling player).

Sat • 7:11 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 7:05 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 6:47 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 6:46 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

9:00 | 3rd Qtr. (video)

Updated to add video.

The Colts Robert Mathis strips Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.  As the ball is rolling out-of-bounds, #52 for the Colts, Cody Glenn, comes swooping in to recover the ball.  The question is whether or not Glenn had recovered the ball while in bounds.  If he been juggling the ball while touching the sideline, the Chiefs would have retained possession at the out-of-bounds spot.  Gary Arthur, veteran line judge, ruled a Colts recovery.  Walt Anderson saw no “indisputable evidence” to overturn Arthur, and properly ruled that he “play stands as called.”

Sat • 6:40 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 6:33 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 6:28 pm EDT • Ben Austro

Sat • 6:25 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

15:00 | 3rd Qtr.

Barring a miraculous comeback by the Colts, this game is over.  Unless the Colts achieve that miracle, the biggest challenge for Anderson’s crew will be to keep the game under control and handle the emotions/frustrations of both teams.

Update: We have a developing miracle late in the third quarter!

Sat • 6:07 pm EDT • David Root

1:01 | 2nd qtr.

Andrew Luck’s hard count causes the Chiefs defense to jump into the neutral zone.  The offensive line moves in reaction to the defender in the neutral zone, and the defender is correctly flagged for a neutral zone infraction. 

Sat • 6:00 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

1:51 | 2nd Qtr.

First major foul of the day sees Doug Rosenbaum flagging Vontae Davis, #23, for a personal foul facemask, moving the ball half the distance to the goal.  The Chiefs respond the next play scoring another touchdown.  The Chiefs are turning the first playoff game of the season into a blowout, leading the Colts 31 -10 leading into half time.  

Sat • 5:42 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

9:26 | 2nd Qtr.

No flag for illegal contact against the Chiefs.  The Colts are trailing by 17 points, so Luck and company will be going to the air a lot.  This will put the pressure on Horton, Ferguson, and Rosenbaum as the Colts will be campaigning for a flag every time one of their receivers is touched.

Sat • 5:20 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

The deep officials got a workout on this last Chiefs touchdown – a 79 yard strike to Donnie Avery.

Sat • 5:11 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

Colts make a goal like stand to force the field goal.  Before the field goal, Anderson had to pry players apart after a minor scrum.  

Sat • 5:07 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

4:09 | 1st qtr.

First flag of the game as Anderson crew calls illegal contact on the Colts’ secondary.  Looks like the deep officials had their choice of two fouls to pick from.

Sat • 5:01 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

Sat • 4:56 pm EDT • Mark Schultz

Sat • 4:11 pm EDT • Ben Austro

This is Walt Anderson’s 16th postseason assignment (8 Wild Card Playoffs, 2 Divisional Playoffs, 4 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls XXXV and XLV). That includes assignments prior to him beingbeing promoted to referee.