[BenLurkin]

The fact that there was no receiver in sight could just as easily have been due to a miscommunication between receiver and quarterback.

There is no way an official could know, unless he was psychic. Or maybe he was thinking “gotta be on the lookout for a safety” and then screwed up because of the Superbowl jitters. Or....Las Vegas?

As John Madden once famously said, “You have to remember, there are three teams on the field."

[Principled]

The fact that there was no receiver in sight could just as easily have been due to a miscommunication between receiver and quarterback.

It doesn't matter why there was no receiver in sight. There wasn't one - and Brady was inside the tackle box - and he was under pressure.

Who's to say it would have altered outcome anyway? Psychic refs? he he he

[hometoroost]

If there's no receiver, the QB's in the pocket, and the QB threw the ball under pressure (but wasn't hit as he threw) they make the call. You can't expect the referee to know what people are thinking.

It's the correct call unlike the interference call they didn't make later in the game. Chris Collinsworth tried to chock it up to seeing the play in "real time" vs. reply. Anyone who can't make that call in real time shouldn't be reffing in the NFL.