NFL: Giants would have been flagged if they spiked it

AP Via ESPN ^ | 1-6-03 | ANON

[Pharmboy]

NEW YORK -- Giants holder Matt Allen could not have spiked the botched snap on the final play of New York's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

It's against the rules.

Mike Pereira, the NFL supervisor of officials, confirmed Monday that Allen would not have been allowed to immediately spike the ball because it was a long snap. The only time a player can spike the ball is when he takes the snap from under the center.

With six seconds left Sunday and the Giants trailing 39-38, Matt Bryant lined up to try a potential game-winning 41-yard field goal. The snap from newly signed Trey Junkin was in the dirt. Allen fumbled the ball, then made a desperation pass downfield to what turned out to be an ineligible receiver, guard Rich Seubert.

Fox commentator Cris Collinsworth said at the time that since it was third down, Allen could have spiked the ball, giving the Giants another chance at a kick. Afterward, on the Fox postgame show, other commentators agreed.

Pereira said the only other option would have been to throw to an eligible receiver.

[Mrs.Liberty]

see my 175 link. The game would not have been over on the offsetting penalties (and no time on the clock). The Giants would have gotten one more play, untimed.

[Stingray51]

absolutely! somebody should post pictures!

[My2Cents]

Yeah, I wonder if Gannon paid-off the Broncos' defensive coordinator for letting him set an NFL record for most consecutive completed passes in a game.

[Glenn]

He's too damned cheap to do otherwise.

I hope someone picks up Kordell's contract. If the Steelers could waste him it would put 6 million back into the pie so we could rent a backup QB and maybe a couple of corners who can actually stop a pass.

[Alberta's Child]

The Giants did not deserve to win that game, but to have such bad officiating on a game-ending play is unbelievable.

The Giants played a game against the Dallas Cowboys back in the late 1980s, and the Giants were awarded a safety on the opening kickoff when the Dallas kick returner muffed the kick in the end zone and was tackled while trying to run it out.

The NFL issues a statement after the game describing the call as a blatantly incorrect one, and the entire off-field officiating crew was fired the next day.

[blackdog]

Speaking of steroid pumped lunatics, what has become of Gastinau(sp?) who had played(if that is a name for his antics) for the Jets?

How about that Skinhead-Lurch, he-she spouse of his?

[amused]

I hope there is an angry mob with pitch forks waiting back at the airport in New York.

I was too young for the great ticket burnings of the 70's but that wouldn't surpise me. Though it should be said that NY doesn't riot when its teams win a championship.

[Alberta's Child]

LOL. See my #151. If I were Fassel and the Giants had gotten a second chance to kick that game-winning field goal, I would have punted the ball away.

[My2Cents]

This was explained yesterday that the Giants' ineligible man downfield nullified their play, and hence there was -- technically -- no pass interference, because the play was -- technically -- dead once the ineligible man ran downfield. I have sympathy for Giants fans, but let's face it -- the team imploded.

[mr.pink]

My gosh I almost forgot about that. I remember thinking that was the GREATEST commercial I'd ever seen.

Outrageous commercial. When after falling into the wet cement and the one chick says "let's make out" I almost dropped by beer.

[amused]

The Giants did not deserve to win that game, but to have such bad officiating on a game-ending play is unbelievable.

True enough.....just burns my ass that my beloved boys in blue do everything in their power to lose a game and the zebra crew feels it necessary to add to the debacle.

WORST LOSS EVER :-(

[Hatteras]

Of course, your saying that IF the 49er was guilty of pass interference. Judging by the way they've been calling all the games these past few years, there would have been a 50/50 chance of that happening...

[discostu]

Corners, my kingdom for corners that are worth a crap. I hate the Steeler secondary, every 3rd and long gives me an upset stomache. We're much better off in 3rd and <5 when fools will try to run. Our entire season was on display with the Brown's 1st posession, 3rd and 15 resulting in an 83 yard reception and 1st and goal on the 1. That was the moment I though we were gonna lose, and only devine intervention made me wrong. The bad news is the other 3 AFC teams in the playoffs all have excellent passing games, we're meat.

[justshutupandtakeit]

One the greatest defensive linemen ever to play was drafted by the Bears in the 6th round, Richard Dent. We do much better drafting late than earlier which is why I like to see them trade down and get more picks.
Roland Harper 17th round
Jay Hilgenberg undrafted
Harlon Hill 15th round
Doug Planck 12th round

[Dog Gone]

NFL: Officials missed pass interference call in Giants-49ers		Monday, January 6, 2003

(01-06) 12:45 PST NEW YORK (AP) --

The San Francisco 49ers' 24-point comeback victory over the New York Giants ended with an officiating error.

The NFL said Monday that pass interference should have been called against the 49ers on the final play of the 39-38 thriller.

A botched field-goal attempt by the Giants ended Sunday's game, when New York was called for having an ineligible receiver downfield while holder Matt Allen attempted a pass. However, the league said that the pass interference that was ignored would have resulted in a replay of the down.

After a videotape review of the 41-yard attempt with six seconds left, NFL Director of Officiating Mike Pereira determined:

* The Giants' Tam Hopkins, No. 65, lined up as the left guard and was illegally downfield on the pass. All three flags thrown by the officials were for that penalty.

* Rich Seubert, No. 69 and normally a guard, lined up as an eligible receiver on the play. He reported to the officiating crew before the game that he would man that position on field goals.

* 49ers defensive end Chike Okeafor interfered with Seubert when he was attempting to catch Allen's pass. No defensive pass interference penalty was called.

"If defensive pass interference had been called," an NFL statement explained, "there would have been offsetting penalties (ineligible receiver against the Giants and pass interference against the 49ers), with the down replayed at the original line of scrimmage, the San Francisco 23-yard line. Although time had expired, a game cannot end with offsetting penalties. Thus, the game would have been extended by one untimed down."

Allen could not have spiked the botched snap, because it was a long snap. Pereira said the only time a player can spike the ball is when he takes the ball directly from the center.

Matt Bryant lined up to try the potential game-winning field goal, and the snap from newly signed Trey Junkin was in the dirt. Allen fumbled the ball, then made the desperation pass downfield to Seubert.

Fox commentator Cris Collinsworth said during the broadcast that, because it was third down, Allen could have spiked the ball, giving the Giants another chance at a kick. Afterward, on the Fox postgame show, other commentators agreed.

Pereira said the only other option would have been to throw to an eligible receiver

[blackdog]

That commercial and the one where the guys sitting on the couch are making sure they have no physical contact(hence be gay) and then start hugging and patting after a toughdown! I am surprised it's not spiked by the gay crowd.

[Alberta's Child]

Here's an interesting story about the ticket burnings of the 1970s . . .

The Giants were such a disgraceful team in the 1970s (maily due to the long-running feud between Wellington Mara and his nephew Tim) that Pete Rozelle sat them both down in 1979 and told them that he would force them to sell the team (as commissioner he had this authority) unless they became competitive in a hurry.

The big problem with the team was that neither Wellington nor Tim could agree on a general manager. They hated each other so much that any candidate who was proposed by one was automatically rejected by the other.

Rozelle told them each to submit a list of names of all the general manager candidates they had considered, and he told them that he would select a GM who was not on either list. He picked an old friend of his named George Young.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

[AmishDude]

Listen next time, Simms will never contradict an offical's call.

[amused]

Of course, your saying that IF the 49er was guilty of pass interference. Judging by the way they've been calling all the games these past few years, there would have been a 50/50 chance of that happening...

Naaahhh. I see what you are saying but the pass interference was pretty obvious. He tackled the guy. I just walked away from the TV(after screaming several of the seven words) when I saw it was an O-lineman and assumed he was ineligible.

[Richard Kimball]

Nope, for the quarterback to be an eligible receiver he cannot take the snap under center; he must be in the shotgun. Illegal forward pass

You're forgetting rule 796a part III, which states that the Steelers, Packers and 49ers will always get the benefit of the doubt if the play will result in a victory. The NBA equivalent is that Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan never travel, charge or foul out of a game.