The Official NFL Thread: 2012-13 Season - Page 8

I'm actually worried about when the Cowboys play the skins.

What were the Steelers challenging?

In yesterday's Sunday Night game, Denver completed a pass to the two-yard line. The receiver made a leap for the goal line, fumbled in the process, and the ball rolled past Polamalu out of bounds. The refs made the right call and called him down at the two because his knee touched the ground.

Simultaneous to Manning's next snap, Tomlin threw the challenge flag. The refs didn't see it immediately and let the play continue, but it was later reversed and Tomlin was allowed to challenge.

My question is: What the hell was Tomlin challenging? I must have blanked out or something. Was he challenging the spot? Was he challenging the fumble? The announcers didn't make it clear. All they said was that he was going to lose the challenge (which he did).

I thought that was ridiculous as well. I've seen tommlin challenge some weird stuff before.

twas a reminder of my prediction/high hopes. i am aware that the superbowl does not take place on week 1.

I thought maybe you thought it was a Bizarro season or something, where the first game is the championship game. But in that case, you'd have been sad that the Broncos won.

why is that?

Why did I think you thought it was a Bizarro season or why would you be sad if the Broncos won? I'll answer both:

1. Because you crowed about your Super Bowl prediction after week one.

2. Because everything is opposite in Bizarro world.

It was good to see Peyton playing again, and playing pretty well. Glad Denver won. Idk, may have been the first time I've ever wanted them to win.

Tomlin was challenging the fumble, which subsequently rolled out of bounds in the end zone. Had it been ruled a fumble, it would have been Stillers ball at the 20 yard line - a touchback.

In real-time, it was a bang-bang play and I understood why he might have wanted to challenge at that moment. His people didn't get a chance to see the play upstairs because Manning was, intelligently enough, rushing to snap the ball for the next play so they wouldn't get that chance. He gambled, I think not unreasonably, and lost.

[aside]I'm not an NFL QB and I've never been in the situation obviously, and I'm not trying to take anything away from Peyton Manning, who is legitimately a brilliant guy.... BUT I think announcers give guys too much credit for simple heads-up plays. I hate it when they go on and on about how brilliant some guy is for wanting to get the next snap off quickly on a close, possibly re-playable play. This is your job. Or when they talk about how brilliant a guy is for staying in bounds in the closing minutes of a game when his team has the lead. This is basic stuff, people.[/aside]

Ok. Thanks. I guess I missed that the ball was in the end zone after the fumble.

Collinsworth is bad at his job. He is uninteresting, biased toward whichever team happens to be winning at the moment, and boring. But I like Al Michaels. It's particularly funny when he tries to keep Collinsworth in line.

I forgot that if the offense fumbles the ball in any endzone it is a touchback.

lol @ #2, that is what i thought.

mazal tov!

i agree to the sentiment, but basic does not alway equal easy.

I think the announcers have a narrative that they like to push for all the big-name players. Whenever a player is "cerebral" or has "a high football IQ," then any play that's not outright stupid gets praised to the skies. Likewise, any quarterback who's "athletic" gets praised anytime he runs for positive yardage, even if Vinnie Testaverde could have gotten that same yardage.

Is it just me or has Ray Lewis really slimmed down?