The worst call in NFL history?
Watching NFL games with the replacement refs is like watching an impending train wreck. It's like sitting down for a NASCAR race knowing that the first twenty four cars and their drivers will end up in carnage. In real time, right in front of our eyes. We are watching incompetence and failure of the kind usually reserved for more mundane workplaces. This comedy of errors has caught the attention of the entire nation, football fanatics or otherwise. In a sick way that Roger Goodell didn't bargain for, it makes for compelling television fare.
A free for all mentality is creeping back into the NFL. As one television commentator put it "they're playing the game, just like they did back in the seventies" What that means is that on top of all the blown calls there's more dirty hits, more bone jarring helmet to helmet collisions and more forearms to the head. It's perverse to see the NFL reduced to such a free for all after years of the league office tweaking and fine tuning the rules in the name of sanitizing their brand. The players and coaches don't respect these guys. Bill Belicheck rudely grabbed one official by the arm to make his point.
Kyle Shanahan ran into the tunnel after the refs yelling "You have no fucking balls, you are a fucking pussy" this after RG3's Hail Mary pass was batted down to end the game and the officials made a beeline for the locker rooms. It was a wild and brutal Sunday of football, three games were decided in overtime as cheap shots and dirty play dominated the action in ways not seen in years. The coaches are instructing their players to test the scabs, the players are out there testing the scabs and the scabs are failing the test. Pro wrestling referees are more credible than these clowns.
Ed Reed is playing like a reincarnation of Jack Tatum, George Atkinson & Fred Williamson and he's not the only one.(Ryan Mundy, Joe Mays) Broncos LB Joe Mays received a one-game suspension and a $50,000 fine from the NFL for the hit that dislodged Texans Qb. Matt Schaub's helmet and took off a piece of his ear. If the NFL fines every single defensive player who leads with his head, their coffers will fill up quick. Negotiations between the league and The NFL refs (the real ones) are still at an impasse, so the hijinks & shenanigans will continue in week four.
I'm not one to make predictions, but everything pointed to a Raider victory, for those who were paying attention. Oakland and Pittsburgh have a history, not so much the last 10 years as the Raiders have mostly sucked, but they were once bitter rivals. Because of this every now and then special things happen when the two meet (like an unexpected Raider win) Let's go back to 2009, the Raiders were 3-8 having lost to the Dallas Cowboys (in Dallas) 24-7, It was an empty suit lackluster effort from Oakland and the loss left Raider fans seething.
The next game on the schedule was against the 6-5 Steelers. In the offseason Ben Roethlisberger suffered a near death accident while riding his motorcycle in downtown Pittsburgh. As the season started, he was not up to form. Pittsburgh had just lost back to back overtime games, including a loss to Atlanta the week before. Big Ben was still feeling the after effects of a concussion he suffered in that game. While some doubted that he would play, Roethlisberger suited up and took the field that day. To the surprise of most football pundits Oakland beat Pittsburgh 27-24.
Bruce Gradkowski went 20-33 passing for 308 yds. 3 td's and he was never that good ever again. Louis Murphy had 4 receptions for 128 yds. including 2 td's Johnny Lee Higgins (who is now playing in the UFL) added 4 catches for 63 yds. Justin Fargas carried 15 times for 63 yds. (Justin was the Raiders' running game back then) The Raiders went on to finish at 5-11, but that one win over Pittsburgh signaled that after the Art Shell year (2006) and the Lane Kiffin fiasco (2007-08) Oakland behind Tom Cable and JaMarcus Russell was ready to turn the corner.
In 2006, with Art Shell at the helm, Oakland started out 0-5, before beating Arizona 22-9 to get off the schneid (to borrow some old baseball idiom) Up next was a rather mediocre Steelers bunch (they would finish 8-8 during Bill Cowher's final season) Nobody expected Oakland to win, yet they did 20-13. Mind you that was a Raider team that was bad in ways the 2012 edition could never imagine. The 2006 Raiders lost their next 9 games for a 2-14 season and Art Shell took his empty clipboard and rode off into the sunset.
What kind of team do we have in 2012, a Raider squad that won't win another game all season, or one that will finish 5-11? Stow all talk of an AFC West Championship away, this team hasn't shown that it can match last season's 8-8 record much less improve on it. Oakland head coach Dennis Allen downplayed the victory, and rightfully so. Lose to Denver on the road this coming Sunday and that's two losses to divisional rivals. The Broncos for all the Peyton Manning hype have lost two in a row, a win for the Raiders is no longer outside the realm of possibilities.
Oakland Raiders 34 Pittsburgh Steelers 31
The Steelers came out like gangbusters (pardon the cliche) Big Ben Roethlisberger was keen as he drove Piitsburgh down the field. The Oakland faithful packed into O.co and still reeling from the Miami beatdown, had to be thinking "Here we go again" Big Ben passed to Heath Miller who took it in for the score. While everyone other than Raider fans expected them to fold up, Oakland came right back and tied the game on Darren McFadden's spectacular 64 yd. td run. Throughout the first half, the Raiders matched Pittsburgh score for score with the Steelers up 17-14 at the break.
Roethlisberger took control in the third quarter firing a pass down the middle to Mike Wallace to increase Pittsburgh's lead to ten points. Oakland's defense had yet to stop Roethlisberger, the fans seemed in the midst of settling for a moral victory. Monte Poole's words had resonated all week. "45 clown suits, all of them empty" despair was awash in the East Bay. The Raider diehards had almost reached a breaking point, then as if to say "We're still in this one" Carson Palmer calmly directed Oakland's offense down the field again for a Raider score that pulled them within three.
Ben Roethlisberger doesn't know the meaning of no, the Steelers powered their way to another touchdown. Big Ben hit Antonio Brown who took it into the endzone, fumbled it and miraculously recovered the ball for a Steeler touchdown, 31-21. Roethlisberger, who felt little pressure throughout most of the game and seemed to pick apart the Raiders' patchwork secondary at will, had thrown his last touchdown of the day. Pittsburgh wouldn't score again. Down by ten points as they entered the fourth quarter, few would have expected the Raiders to muscle their way back into the game.
Carson Palmer capped an eleven play, 80 yd. drive with a touchdown pass to Denarius Moore, to pull within three points again. Then the much maligned Raider defense came up with the first of two clutch stops that essentially allowed Oakland to win the game. Pat Lee (filling in for the injured Ron Bartell) stripped Antonio Brown of the ball, Phillip Wheeler recovered and this led directly to a 32 yd. field goal by Janikowski to tie the game. Pittsburgh got the ball back with 6:30 on the clock, but the Raiders stopped them cold, aided by their only sack of the game, by Richard Seymour.
Carson Palmer then drove Oakland 49 yards, with the help of two clutch catches from Derek Hagan pulled into Sebastian Janikowski field goal range and Sea Bass did the rest, putting the ball through the uprights from 43 yards out, for a final of 34-31. An improbable win for sure, after the debacle at Miami, who would have thought that the Raiders had it in them? "It feels good when you have to claw, and you're banged up, and you have to fight to get a win,'' Richard Seymour said. "You hit it long enough, it's going to break open. I think it's a real confidence booster for everybody.''
Raider Notes:
It could be that the Raiders no longer play the vertical game, so loved by Al Davis. Carson Palmer had three td passes, all short and sweet. Palmer finished at 24-34 passing for 209 yds. The Raider running game also came to life, in the form of Darren McFadden. Run DMC finished with 113 yards on 18 carries including his 64 yd. run. He had one touchdown called off by the officials (Richard Gordon hooked up with Carson Palmer two plays later for the score)
LB Philip Wheeler had a man sized game finishing with 11 tackles and he forced two fumbles. Desmond Bryant forced a fumble of Jonathan Dwyer that led to the Raiders' second td. The Raiders played a penalty free first half and had just three penalties for 25 yds. Pittsburgh had 10 penalties for 81 yds. Ben Roethlisberger would not be denied (until the fourth quarter) he completed 36 of 49 passes for 384 yds., 4 td's and ints. in a losing cause. To him I say, "Nice job meat head, don't forget to keep that helmet strapped on tight"
Darrius Heyward-Bey was knocked unconscious after a helmet to helmet hit from Pittsburgh's Ryan Mundy. After what seemed like an eternity, Darrius was carted off the field as he raised his right hand in the air to signal that he was all right. A spokesman for the Raiders reported that Heyward-Bey was in stable condition at Mt. Eden Medical Center after the game and he was released on Tuesday. Heyward-Bey suffered a concussion and his status for next weekend is unknown.
The fued between Marcus Allen and the Raiders is history. Allen lit the eternal flame honoring Al Davis before the game on Sunday. Owner Mark Davis (Al's son) said that "Marcus Allen's return meant a lot to my mom", Mark Davis described Marcus as the "the absolute true Raider" Allen spent 11 season with the Raiders, but fell out of favor with Al Davis, who once called him a cancer on the team. Marcus played five season with the Kansas City Chiefs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Two fans at the game were hospitalized from the game, after they raised a flag pole and made contact with a high voltage power line. The fans, who's names were withheld, were tailgating in the Northeast parking lot at O.co. Their injuries were not considered life threatening. The flag pole was at least 20 feet tall, and it's not sure what flag they were hoisting when it touched the 115 kilovolt transmission line. Alcohol may have been a factor in the incident.
Dennis Allen brought out the lumber this week, and it didn't involve a trip to the woodshed. Coach Allen passed out wooden baseball bats engraved with "Raiders vs. Steelers, Sept. 23, 2012" it was his way of getting the message across that he wanted them to "Bring the Wood" against Pittsburgh. Ryan Mundy brought the wood, he not only took out Heyward-Bey, but he also had a helmet to helmet hit on Brandon Meyers. No Flags were thrown on either play.
In transaction news, The Raiders signed Vic So' oto, a linebacker and another Green Bay castoff. So' oto is an undrafted free agent out of Brigham Young. He played with Green Bay in 2011 and was released by the Packers after having been placed on the injured reserve list. Carl Ineanacho was released to make room on the roster for So' oto. Ineanacho a linebacker saw little action with the Raiders during the first three games of the season. DT Vaughn Meatoga was released from the practice squad, his roster spot has not yet been filled.
With the Oakland A's still in the hunt for a wildcard spot in Major League Baseball, the question of playing with a dirt infield was brought up to Coach Allen. "I think we’re one of … I think we’re the only team that plays on a dirt infield. That’s something we have to deal with. The opponent has to deal with it. It’s another one of those outside distractions that you don’t have control over so you just understand what you’re dealing with and understand how you got to play on the dirt then you move on" When asked if he was rooting against the A's so that the Raiders could get their grass back Allen said, " I hope they win. Is there any way we can get a grass infield and they can still win?
The Raiders are on the road against Denver next week, that's followed by a bye week and then a road trip to Atlanta. They won't be back at O.co until Sun, 10/21 for a game with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unless the A's go deep into the post season, the infield should be grass by then. Football teams playing on baseball diamonds used to be common place in the NFL during the months of September and October. But, Coach Allen is correct, the Raiders are now the only NFL team that plays on dirt.
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