Calls
Quick calls: Week 4
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Giants at Cardinals
Victor Cruz’s catch has become its own post.
Jerome Boger’s crew had a simultaneous timeout call from the Giants’ sideline and a coach’s challenge from the Cardinals sideline. (Fox Sports put the tape of the two coaches split screen—it would take a slo-mo replay to determine who was first.) The crew granted both requests, rather than returning the Giants timeout on account of the replay. Fox Sports sideline vagabond Tony Siragusa was able to get a very unusual in-game comment from umpire Carl Paganelli that the on-field ruling was the timeout call came first.
While the split screen only showed the coaches, there were also players on the Giants defensive line calling timeout as well. It is unclear if the officials called the timeout based on a player’s or the coach’s signal.
Steelers at Texans
The Texans had two touchdowns nullified. First, a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown (video) had an obvious penalty for illegal block in the back. Clete Blakeman had the full explanation, including the fact that the half ends on the play without the quarter being extended. Then, in the fourth quarter, an interception return for a touchdown was wiped out by a late hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger by Texans J.J. Watt.
Saints at Jaguars
The EverBank Field grounds crew made a glaring error when painting the lines on the field, but ultimately one that would confuse viewers, not the officiating crew.
Each 10-yard increment (with the exception of the 50-yard line) is marked with an arrow pointing towards the nearest goal line. It is essentially for the benefit of television viewers to be able to discern which side of the field is on the screen.
However, the grounds crew placed a fourth of all the arrows pointing the wrong way. On the same yard line, the arrows on either side of the field pointed to opposite ends.
Photo courtesy of Fox Sports Florida.