Patriots' "eligible Tackle" maneuver

[Orangeman]

What's the feeling on this?

Seems pretty bush how Vareen can just whisper to a ref right before the snap that he's ineligible….so now the defense has to guess which 11 guys are e/ie across the LoS?

Then to throw an unsportsmanlike flag on the Ravens bench for questioning the situation?

Not sure how to judge this? My sense is unfair, another Pats loophole.

 

[Libero2]

What's the feeling on this?

Seems pretty bush how Vareen can just whisper to a ref right before the snap that he's ineligible….so now the defense has to guess which 11 guys are e/ie across the LoS?

Then to throw an unsportsmanlike flag on the Ravens bench for questioning the situation?

Not sure how to judge this? My sense is unfair, another Pats loophole.

It will be taken away in the offseason I have no doubt. But for the remainder of the playoffs expect the pats to exploit the hell out of it any time they get into trouble.

 

[donniesyracuse]

It must be nice to have a coach that can still find loopholes to exploit.

 

[WalnutPark]

Note Alabama did this against LSU this year in overtime.

On one of the plays the Ref even went beyond just announcing that one of the players was lined up as an ineligible receiver by going as far as telling the Ravens they didn’t have to cover him. It was when Vereen was the ineligible, the Ref yelled out and pointed “#34 is ineligible, Do not cover #34.”

Ravens should have just called a time out. Lose with grace; not always complaining after each big loss, seems what the Ravens are becoming known for.

 

[Scooch]

What's the feeling on this? Seems pretty bush how Vareen can just whisper to a ref right before the snap that he's ineligible….so now the defense has to guess which 11 guys are e/ie across the LoS? Then to throw an unsportsmanlike flag on the Ravens bench for questioning the situation? Not sure how to judge this? My sense is unfair, another Pats loophole.

The inelligible players were announced by the refs to the stadium, and we're pointed out to the Ravens by the ref.

Sorry that Harbaugh and his D were too dim to figure it out.

 

[Cramz]

My junior high team ran the same play back in 1988. Worked just as well then.

 

[RICuse44]

What's the feeling on this?

Seems pretty bush how Vareen can just whisper to a ref right before the snap that he's ineligible….so now the defense has to guess which 11 guys are e/ie across the LoS?

Then to throw an unsportsmanlike flag on the Ravens bench for questioning the situation?

Not sure how to judge this? My sense is unfair, another Pats loophole.

No difference really between running this and an unbalanced line. At least conceptually.

 

[Stern]

Did he break the rule...no. Is it in the spirit of the rule...no.

It's low class but not against the rules. They will now have to change the rule next year.

 

[Scooch]

Did he break the rule...no. Is it in the spirit of the rule...no. It's low class but not against the rules. They will now have to change the rule next year.

Low class? Lots of other teams have done it.

Low class is bitching about it in the press conference after your team blew two 14 point leads.

 

[Stern]

Low class? Lots of other teams have done it.

Low class is bitching about it in the press conference after your team blew two 14 point leads.

They don't do it the way Belichick did it last night. Let's not spin this

 

[Scooch]

They don't do it the way Belichick did it last night. Let's not spin this

How so?

Honestly if it were Harbaugh that did it no one would say a thing. This is entirely about BB's rep, nothing more.

 

[Alsacs]

It is not bush or illegal so the Ravens should and enjoy the Pro bowl. BB got this idea from Alabama this year. If people complain they are just hating on the Patriots.

Non-issue. The refs in this game were actually giving Bmore some breaks.

 

[Stern]

How so?

Honestly if it were Harbaugh that did it no one would say a thing. This is entirely about BB's rep, nothing more.

Because even the Ref's admitted after the game they were confused by this. And the league has said they will probably change the rule. He took a rule and bent it to the point of almost breaking it. It's not the spirit of the rule to confuse a defense by bending rules like this. It's just not. It's deceptive and low class.

 

[Scooch]

Because even the Ref's admitted after the game they were confused by this. And the league has said they will probably change the rule. He took a rule and bent it to the point of almost breaking it. It's not the spirit of the rule to confuse a defense by bending rules like this. It's just not. It's deceptive and low class.

Honestly, whatever. Is it bush league for Harbaugh to employ a strategy of having Flacco chuck it deep 5 times a game and pray for pass interference? Because that's a staple of their O.

There is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, that will make me feel pity for an organization like the Ravens.

 

[Scooch]

Bent the rule. Come on. The NFL is nothing but bending rules. Oy vey.

 

[Stern]

Honestly, whatever. Is it bush league for Harbaugh to employ a strategy of having Flacco chuck it deep 5 times a game and pray for pass interference? Because that's a staple of their O.

There is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, that will make me feel pity for an organization like the Ravens.

Not about feeling pity for the Ravens. Has nothing to do with the Ravens. it has to do with what Belichick did. And the league will step in and stop this in the offseason. Even the Ref's said after the game they were confused and never seen this before. If it happens in college so be it, on the NFL level that is not the "spirit of the rule" and it will stop

 

[Orangeman]

Did he break the rule...no. Is it in the spirit of the rule...no.

It's low class but not against the rules. They will now have to change the rule next year.

I believe the rule was broken by the refs, they absolutely did not announce that ineligible on the big pass play to #47 when Vereen mentioned it in passing…by announce, I mean they did NOT give the Ravens time to adjust. The announcers who were there were clear about that.

There is a rule for this, and it was not followed. It's definitely not like an unbalanced line…having to guess which player across the field is ineligible is not fair at all.

I'll show my bias by saying that Brady was absolutely embarrassing too in the first half, whining every time they got to him and then trying to create a penalty with that ridic outburst when he initiated the contact.

Same ole NFL…Goodell and Kraft getting rich together.

No surprise which game good ole Roger went to this weekend.

 

[Orangeman]

It is not bush or illegal so the Ravens should and enjoy the Pro bowl. BB got this idea from Alabama this year. If people complain they are just hating on the Patriots.

Non-issue. The refs in this game were actually giving Bmore some breaks.

This will be proven untrue when the rule is adjusted in the off-season. By adjusted, I mean changed. And by changed, it will show that it was against the rules.

In a hurry-up scenario you cannot just declare to yourself and one official that one player somewhere on the line isn't going out and that makes a tackle eligible.

Alabama did it so that makes it OK? Uh, no

 

[RICuse44]

I believe the rule was broken by the refs, they absolutely did not announce that ineligible on the big pass play to #47 when Vereen mentioned it in passing…by announce, I mean they did NOT give the Ravens time to adjust. The announcers who were there were clear about that.

There is a rule for this, and it was not followed. It's definitely not like an unbalanced line…having to guess which player across the field is ineligible is not fair at all.

I'll show my bias by saying that Brady was absolutely embarrassing too in the first half, whining every time they got to him and then trying to create a penalty with that ridic outburst when he initiated the contact.

Same ole NFL…Goodell and Kraft getting rich together.

No surprise which game good ole Roger went to this weekend.

They were announced as ineligible. To the point where the refs said do not cover #34.

 

[Scooch]

This will be proven untrue when the rule is adjusted in the off-season. By adjusted, I mean changed. And by changed, it will show that it was against the rules. In a hurry-up scenario you cannot just declare to yourself and one official that one player somewhere on the line isn't going out and that makes a tackle eligible. Alabama did it so that makes it OK? Uh, no

Except that's not what happened, at all. You should read up on it. It was entirely within the rules.

Vereen reported as inelligible on 3 plays. Hooman was elligible. The refs announced it to the stadium, and went as far as to tell the Ravens NOT to cover Vereen when he split out. If the Ravens didn't cover him, as the refs told them, then the Pats were essentially playing a man down.

But the Ravens were confused and did.

Tough.

Maybe Suggs should have stopped yakking for 10 seconds and listened.

Meanwhile, here's a quote from Harbaugh from a couple years ago... "You’ve got to figure out ways to use the rules to your advantage.”

 

[Scooch]

All they had to do was cover the elligible guy and ignore the inelligible guy.

 

[Orangeman]

Except that's not what happened, at all. You should read up on it. It was entirely within the rules.

Vereen and Hoomanawinui reported as inelligible on 3 plays. The refs announced it to the stadium, and went as far as to tell the Ravens NOT to cover Vereen when he split out. If the Ravens didn't cover him, as the refs told them, then the Pats were essentially playing a man down.

But the Ravens were confused and did.

Tough.

Maybe Suggs should have stopped yakking for 10 seconds and listened.

Meanwhile, here's a quote from Harbaugh from a couple years ago... "You’ve got to figure out ways to use the rules to your advantage.”

The NFL in damage control this morning…this article is completely ridiculous.


http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/201...riots-substitutions-vs-baltimore-ravens-legal


This makes absolutely no sense…the official says it's legal, and the ref doesn't call it but recognizes it's unfair and tells the opposing coach they'll give them time to adjust next time? What? It's either a legal play or it's not.

At the start of a series you can announce an eligible receiver is in and then before each play flip a comment to a nearby official which one is not eligible?

No, not going to happen longterm

 

[Scooch]

The NFL in damage control this morning…this article is completely ridiculous. http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/201...riots-substitutions-vs-baltimore-ravens-legal This makes absolutely no sense…the official says it's legal, and the ref doesn't call it but recognizes it's unfair and tells the opposing coach they'll give them time to adjust next time? What? It's either a legal play or it's not. At the start of a series you can announce an eligible receiver is in and then before each play flip a comment to a nearby official which one is not eligible? No, not going to happen longterm

You are horrible at reading comprehension.

Where does a ref say its "unfair"?

Every quote in there is from Harbaugh, complaining because he was too dumb to take a TO apparently.

The Ravens were owed no time to adjust because the Pats didn't change any personnel. That's the whole freakin' point of doing it.

No one was "flipping comments". They were announced to the entire stadium.

Seriously, read a little, it's fun.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The NFL rules are pretty simple.

1. You must have a minimum of 7 players on the LOS for each play.
2. Only the two "end" players are eligible receivers.
3. Since there are 7 players on the LOS, there are only 4 other players to account for, and one of those is Brady.

The rule hasn't changed in 80 years.

 

[Orangeman]

Pretty good at reading. I take two points:

1) Harbaugh said the official said they would give them time to adjust next time. Yes, taking Harbaugh's word for it, but he's just making that up? Doubtful.

2) You or someone else on this thread made the point: the ref told the Ravens who not cover. What? Why on earth would they do that? The obvious implication is the referee felt there was something unfair about it. What other explanation is there? If it WASN'T unfair, and I was a Patriots fan, I would be absolutely furious that the referee was helping my opponent with defensive strategy.

There is a distinct difference between reporting in, joining the huddle, the ref announces an eligible player that player lines up on the end of line, and away we go, vs. a no-huddle attack lining up and a WR telling the ref he's ineligible a second or two before the ball is snapped.