Facemask: Aaron Rodgers Keeps Quiet (And Avoids A Fine), Ken Whisenhunt Didn't Notice Anything

by Brandon on Jan 13, 2010 1:50 AM CST in Green Bay Packers News

Did you see any "twisting, turning, or pulling" on QB Aaron Rodgers's facemask?

From AP:

Rodgers didn’t complain Monday, saying he was more concerned about his own mistakes.

I'm not surprised he didn't complain. Officials are a very delicate bunch. If you swear near an official, like Titans' defensive coordinator (and ex-Packer) Chuck Cecil did, you'll get hit with a $20,000 fine. Rodgers would probably stand to lose a lot more money if he actually complained about a missed call.

Cardinals' head coach Ken Whisenhunt must have had that part shaded out on the game film. From Mike Sando at ESPN:

"I've just watched it on tape," Whisenhunt said. "This was a game that went longer than 60 minutes. There are all kinds of plays during the course of that game that go on. That to me was the way they called the game. I really haven't looked at it in depth. I was more focused on seeing the ball come off Aaron Rodgers' foot and going to Karlos' hand and him running for a touchdown."

Sounds like Whisenhunt won't be calling for an official review.

I watched the play several times. It's not an easy call to make.

As someone that has watched a lot of Packer players called for facemask penalties this season, the Packers are probably the facemask experts in the NFL this season, I've seen a lot of slight touches called for a facemask this season. From this photo, which appears to be taken from an angle below Rodgers, it looks like the top of his helmet is over his eyes. Maybe it isn't as obvious from a camera angle above where all you can see is the top of his helmet, but it sure looks like it from ground level (a.k.a. where the official stands).

The missed call doesn't take away that the Cardinals played good enough to win, but it's a tainted victory.

Tweet Comment 24 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

And let's not forget

That helmet to helmet either, which logically would have had a BIGGER impact on the game’s finish.

A Proud Penguin fan since 1997.
Happily supporting the Stanley Cup Champions 12 years later.

by Gravity on Jan 13, 2010 2:02 AM CST reply actions

yeah, that one upsets me more

I disagree, but I can understand missing the facemask at the end of the game. It’s a silly excuse, but I can atleast see a way that attention was on the ball and not the facemask.

The helmet to helmet was obscene and looked to me to be the definition of a helmet-to-helmet personal foul. It’s a 10 yard / 1 down difference.

rmlumley.com

by shaftr on Jan 13, 2010 9:21 AM CST up reply actions

Then again

They haven’t called those all year on Rodgers, so why start when it really matters. He’s not one of the “chosen few” worthy of that level of protection yet. I’m amazed the guy didn’t break his jaw a few times this year from helmet-to-helmet collisions.

by bluejazz04 on Jan 13, 2010 11:48 PM CST up reply actions

This is actually a legit point. Woodley of the Steelers got him helmet to helmet a couple times this year, and there were a few other instances as well. I personally think the way they protect the Qb in the NFL now-a-days is silly but if their going to do it, then they should at least do it evenly across the board.

by packallday555 on Jan 13, 2010 11:56 PM CST up reply actions

Not an issue in my book...

Was it a 15 yard facemask? Absolutely…it should have been called…

But as the penalty itself didn’t really contribute much to the outcome of the game, I’m not going get to caught up over it.

"stay (green and) gold"

by Green and Bold on Jan 13, 2010 3:06 AM CST reply actions

by outcome of the game

I mean the events of that particular play

"stay (green and) gold"

by Green and Bold on Jan 13, 2010 3:06 AM CST up reply actions

Actually, it did

A personal foul would’ve negated the turn over and given the Packers a new set of downs. Doesn’t matter when in the play it occurs.

“the spot of enforcement is the spot of the foul and the ball reverts to the offensive team”

by Danwood on Jan 13, 2010 5:49 AM CST up reply actions

Wow.

I didn’t know that. That does make it a much larger miss.

Some people say the glass is half empty, some say half full. I say, are you going to drink that?

by BleedsbluinMI on Jan 13, 2010 7:43 AM CST up reply actions

That depends on when the facemask occurs actually. If its after the fumble/change of possession, then it would just be the TD that overturned but it would have still be AZ ball.

by TrevorR on Jan 13, 2010 9:00 AM CST up reply actions

Ok, that makes sense.

I remember thinking at the time the ball was out before the facemask was grabbed.

Some people say the glass is half empty, some say half full. I say, are you going to drink that?

by BleedsbluinMI on Jan 13, 2010 10:39 AM CST up reply actions

Yes, but AZ had to have clear possession before the start of the foul

Possession isn’t established on an INT until the receiver gets two feet and control of the ball. Otherwise GB technically had possession of the ball.

by Danwood on Jan 13, 2010 11:23 AM CST up reply actions

Just speculation...

I think I read somewhere that the official was concentrated on the ball and not on the defender’s hands on Rodgers. I could be dead worng, but I’m starting to think the official instinctively didn’t even look up since facemask grabs on QBs are so rare. Had it been Grant or some other RB fumbling the official would have definitely seen the foul and awarded the 15 yards. It’s just their instinct to look at the helmet when a RB/WR is at the center of the play.

by Rodgers_for_MVP on Jan 13, 2010 1:20 PM CST up reply actions

they should always look at the QBs head

since it’s a penalty for touching it.

rmlumley.com

by shaftr on Jan 13, 2010 1:31 PM CST up reply actions

That's fine and dandy

But that doesn’t mean it’s ok or not a blown call. And the league has said that it was ok and was not a blown call. It’s one thing to admit you made a mistake, it’s another to deny it was a mistake in the first place.

by Danwood on Jan 13, 2010 1:42 PM CST up reply actions

Rodgers is not going to complain about officiating...

I don’t think it’s in his nature. The guy goes about his business as professionally as it gets. I also think it will all even out in the future for him. Also, to expect Winsenhunt to clearly acknowledge the potential facemask is too much to ask. I believe MM would have said the same things had that happened to Warner and we won the game.
Bottom line is this play cost us the game, but the game was indeed lost way earlier. To state the obvious, Rodgers and the offense despite three turnovers, played the game of their life. Unfortunately our presumably-great D could not contain a rookie RB and a few rookie and second year receivers who burned us down the middle all night. The absence of Harris and Kapmann finally caught up with this D and exposed some major shortcomings in it, which we all got a glimpse of in the Pittsburgh game.

by Rodgers_for_MVP on Jan 13, 2010 8:14 AM CST reply actions

Playmakers + Depth

This was a really sucky loss but I hate to keep harping on the non-calls. The refs clearly sucked in that game and it was unfortunate but the fact is… we weren’t going to make a deep run in the playoffs with our secondary and need another playmaker or two on the defensive end, preferably atleast one in the secondary. At the very least we need serviceable nickel and dime backs.

by Superelkman on Jan 13, 2010 9:45 AM CST reply actions

There were bad calls on both sides

I saw you guys get screwed multiple times, but the cards didnt have it too much better. There is really no use in arguing now…they are advancing and you aren’t. This reminds me of the Minnesota vs Pittsburgh game earlier this year. We got screwed horribly. but there is really nothing we could have done about it. So congrats to the pack on a great season and Aaron rodgers for his continued advancement into a top 5 QB in the league.

by MizzCote on Jan 13, 2010 11:24 AM CST reply actions

Don't forget OPI

I saw Larry Fitzgerald push off blatantly on two separate occasions. Both were big plays. The refs seemed worse than average in this game. It seemed that the Packers were robbed to me. Ugh.

The outcome made me sick. I’ve been a Packers fan as my second team for a long while, but with every passing season I find myself more and more pulling for them. I’m a big Rodgers fan for several reasons. I hope you dominate the NFC North next season and march to the super bowl. And if Indy isn’t in it, I hope you handily win =p

And forgive me for this, but I am a Cowboys fan for this one upcoming weekend!

by coltsfanawalt on Jan 13, 2010 3:23 PM CST reply actions

Don't worry...

I’m a Cowboy and Saints fan this weekend

by #12-tony on Jan 13, 2010 7:58 PM CST reply actions

Last time

I will add to this. The pic above shows the beginning of the facemask. The photo on the packers webpage shows Rogers almost to the ground and guess what, the fingers are still wrapped inside the facemask. That dude adams held that sucker all the way through. He held that grill all the way to the ground.

by GBfan73 on Jan 13, 2010 8:15 PM CST reply actions

let. it. go.

by TrevorR on Jan 13, 2010 8:32 PM CST up reply actions

That to me was the way they called the game. I really haven’t looked at it in depth.

This just isn’t true. Warner got a call when Jenkins simply touched his face with 2 of his fingers, while he was being basically tackled from behind into Warner…

We have to let the no call go though..

by packallday555 on Jan 13, 2010 10:24 PM CST reply actions

Yea if Rodgers hadn't over thrown his reciever...

… we wouldn’t be having this conversation either, shit happens. The loss sucks big time. But I gaurentee if we put Rodgers in this position next year the out come will be different. I think we know now how effective our offense can be when Rodgers has time. Nobody can stop Finley and we finally saw the real Jennings come to play like we know he’s capable of. Hopefully we can start where we left off next season.

by cheddarhead on Jan 14, 2010 3:55 PM CST reply actions

Yeah, Jennings was going against DRC too, so it wasn’t like it was some no name guy. I really think Finley, as of right now is the best receiving TE in the league. No one could stop the guy, and if anybody had the guy to do it, it would have been the Cardinals with Adrian Wilson. Grant really came on late in the year too, which is great and all but this seems to be a trend with him that I don’t like! Imagine if he shows up ready right away in the year and we’re actually able to establish a good run game to go along with our offense.

Even Nelson and Jones had bright spots in this game. If for some reason Driver comes back I think both will only get better with the more time on the field they get.

We need to figure out our o-line, and go into the year confident with the group of guys we have. As well as add a couple of guys on defense.

by packallday555 on Jan 14, 2010 5:26 PM CST up reply actions