I’m somewhat of a rulesnut, however I’m a lot better when it comes to NCAA rules, since I’ve not been able to get a copy of the complete NFL rule book, I guess you have to be a league official or a coach to get one. But for this spesific rule/ situation, I doubth there are big differences between NFL / NCAA.
I think it’s a horrible call, for several reasons. No1. It is most definatly not an illegal forward pass like it was anounced, to be an illegal forward pass, it has to be thrown when it is illegal to throw it (i.e a second forward pass or after the ball has crosset the LOS) Ok, I’m not going to get to mad about an announcement error.
In the JS article, it is also stated that Mike Pereira said it should be announced as intententional grounding.
Intentional grounding is intentionally throwing the ball away to avoid a sack. If the passer is outside (or has been during the play) he is allowed to throw it away, he just has to make sure it crosses the los. Rodgers is on the edge of what would be the pocket, so he would be considered outside the pocket, but the ball only gets back to the 8 yd line, and los was the 10. However, T. Humphrey is about 4-5 yds away from the ball when it strikes the ground. Under other sircumstances (i.e QB gets hit when he throws it) this would be more than close enoung to wipe out an int.grounding call. But the explanation from both Mike Pereira in his review (and the refs explaining it to McCarthy in the game) said it was because it was an unnatural throwingmotion, and thereby they are a lot stricter in their rulings.
That is the part that really makes this a bad call. If this had been a pass by Brett Favre, how the heck would they be able to say it was an unnatural throwing motion?? how many times have you ever seen Favre throw a pass in a similar motion ?? ( a lot !!!)
The rules have to be the same for all players, no matter what their name is. And then, look at the philosophies of officiating, as long as it isn’t a foul regarding player safety (all personal fouls) the priniciples say, when in doubth, don’t throw the flag. We never want to call any cheap penalties, especially in a situation where the penalty would result in a safety (or other score).
I used to like Mike Pereiras explanations in official review, because he’s allways been dead on accurat, and I’ve not seen it as an attempt to protect officials integrety, but in this one I think he does. Hopefully, Alberto Riveron (the ref) and his crew will get a downgrade in their evaluation from official supervisors, but ofcourse they’re not public.
I’m not going to be surprised if the NFL puts this in as a legal play, in their apporved rulings next season.

There was also other bad calls in this game, take the play right before the play we just talked about, Korey Hall gets called for holding, that was a real ticky-tack call, it is his intital block that pushes Jarred Allen out of balance and out of posision to make the tackle, yes, his arms are around J.As leg, but it isn’t restricting him in any way, that is a lot easier to see on TV /game film than live during the game, but still a bad call. Escpecially since sometime in the second half, a Viking lineman is tackling Ryan Picket right at the point of attack, and is not flaged for holding.

These guys move around a 100 miles an hour, plays happen in milliseconds, the crowd is going crazy and these refs have to make snap judgments….and we judge them from the comfort of our homes. Okay maybe in hindsight, if we slow the play down to 1/16 frame per second and take out the measuring stick and see how far Humphrey was or wasn’t from the ball, then we come to a true verdict. But these guys have to make snap judgments…maybe huddle around for a minute, without time to do a whole long disseration on what just happened…

Even though I get mad at refs while watching the game (contradicting all of the above), I realize, given the difficult circumstances they do a fantastic job and things tend to even out at the end…

Plus add that the circumstance and the variables were so very unique to that play…(as you and Mitchell and others have written) that an honest mistake was more likely than not.

You know what I was re-reading this post and your minnesota analysis—both excellent by the way—but it seems you have a very cool and football savvy wife! lol…how did you find her and does she have a sister (kidding)…but in all seriousness, that’s my ideal for a “soulmate”, some who prefers some greenish gold to go along with her diamond. Have her blog on here sometime lol.

“Even though I get mad at refs while watching the game (contradicting all of the above), I realize, given the difficult circumstances they do a fantastic job and things tend to even out at the end…”

Totally agree, I officiate football my self, at a much lower level, and I know first hand how difficult it is to make all the calls in the heat of the moment. 99% of the time I think the NFL officials make the correct call on the field. This was that 1%.
Rodgers is trying his very best to avoid the sack and get the ball to Humphrey.
Riveron was judging this in a very strict manner, not putting very much officiating philosphy behind his call.

I was not by any means trying to blame this loss on Riveron and his crew for this loss, overall they did a good job, and some of the other flags could easily have gone the other way.
The Packers had plenty of oportunity to win this, but the offense could not move the ball in crucial situations, and the run defense gave up to many big plays.