TheFunPolice

I don't want to hear anything from NE fans about it being a clean play... You guys had your chance when Brady decided to "run" and a guy the size of a freaking refrigerator was there to lay a crushing blow into him that would have made the Rodgers meme (his face when Jordan Phillips pancaked him in the Arizona game) look tame. Instead he flailed his arms a bit and Brady fell over with that goofy look on his face, knowing that for an act of mercy he would have been on the IR.

As much as Atlanta blew that Super Bowl, let us not forget that they had the ball on the NE 21 with around 2:30 to go and up 8. What happened? HOLDING to push them back past the 30. Without that holding call Atlanta still wins that Super Bowl and Tommy doesn't complete the comeback. Now, players still have to make plays, but by essentially ending Atlanta's hope of scoring (all they needed was an insurance FG to go up 11 and it's game over) they gave NE a chance.

Think of it this way: Pretend you were a corrupt ref who wanted to influence the outcome of an NFL game. How easy would it be, assuming the teams are playing roughly even? You could just pick 2 spots, 1 for each team. If I want team A to win: Hit Team B with a defensive pass interference either in or near the end zone, preferably on a deep ball, and preferably somewhat early on in the game so it's not going to get the same level of scrutiny. Worst case scenario the commentators say "golly, I don't see it there but who knows anymore?!" and the game goes right on. Likely there's SOME contact so you have deniability. You saw it in the moment, fast moving game, etc. Then, hit Team B with an offensive holding or hands to the face, preferably on a 3rd down and 10 play that negates a first down somewhere and makes it 3rd down and 20, especially if Team B is deeper in their own end. This almost assures that they run a draw and punt. By doing just that, you've essentially gifted Team A 7 points and killed a drive for Team B, when there are only so many per half. In a close game, that's enormous.

Football is such a game of inches and single plays that it lends itself perfectly (not to fixing, exactly) but to timely calls to influence an outcome one way or another. Sure, in basketball you can call fouls, travelling, etc. but each team gets so many chances that unless it's in a key last minute moment you can always make it up. In football there are so few games and so few possessions, really. A 10 yard holding call to negate a big run can totally kill a drive and flip field position as well. Between illegal contact, holding (either OL or DB) and now taunting, you can almost throw on any given play and make a reasonable case for it. Pass interference can basically give the offense points, especially since it usually happens on a deep ball. Just one call in a football game leads to so many other circumstances, which makes the sport unique. Team A has the ball 1st and 10 at Team B's 40 yard line. Team A runs for 21 to the 19! HOLDING! Instead of 1st and 10 and the 19, it's 1st and 20 at the 50. Now, Team A is more likely to call totally different plays, maybe dropping back to pass more, which opens up the chances for a sack, fumble, INT. So it's not directly "scripting" but a call here and there can really change a football game in a way that it wouldn't in hockey, baseball, or basketball. And if you're playing Tommy Brady in a game that really matters? LOL Expect ZERO holding calls on Tommy's team and many on yours.

90s Bills really should have won 2 rings: Giants and 2nd Dallas game

Taunting penalty is how the refs will ensure a Brady Super Bowl. This officiating is criminal. Someone had money on Jacksonville and Pittsburgh

Steelers look so slow and old

Big Ben looks 65 years old...

More proof that Belichick is great: he found a way to win in the NFL with an Alabama QB

I still think the Bills win the division, but I'm a lot more worried today than I was before. That's OK. Win the East and you're in the tournament. From there it's anyone's ball game.

AFC playoffs are going to be very interesting... I could see anyone who makes it getting to the Super Bowl. Whoever is #7 will come in red hot, having won a bunch of games to get there, and the Chiefs are bad. then it becomes anyone's game. Just please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, no more tom Brady Super Bowls. It's enough already!

Feliciano deciding to get into yoga and lose 20 pounds or whatever was a total joke. Do that when you're retired! We want the mauling angry SOB that we all loved. Now he's a yoga dude getting manhandled every play.

Disagree. It's reality check time for a supposed "best team in the NFL" and Super Bowl contender. The Bucs "had a bad game" because Brady threw for 375 yards and 4 TDs but turned the ball over 3 times. that's the competition if you want to talk about Super Bowls. We scored 6 points against the worst team in the AFC. IF we lost to Jacksonville 35-32 on some fluky play it would be one thing. But our offense was dominated all day long and every yard looked like a struggle. That's the problem...

We're in for a real fight just to win this division. Forget about the #1 seed, we could be in big trouble for the playoffs if we drop another game we're "supposed" to win. If we split with NE and lost to either the Bucs or Colts that's 5 losses, which is starting to flirt with wildcard tiebreakers. It's gut check time for this team, and this week's Jets game will be fascinating. How will they respond? I fully expect a return to something that resembles the Bills offense and a big win. If this team comes out and it's 6-3 or 3-3 at the half again I think we're all going to be worried. Also, the ONE TIME I want NE to win (vs Brady) they lose...

Ring the damn bell! The man tapped!

I think the OL struggles are as much about this as anything else. Line play is so physical that if you're just going through the motions against a team playing with its hair on fire you're going to get smashed, especially if your OL isn't as talented as it seemed.

That's game and Stafford is hurt..

Whenever the Titans need a play they make it

DB shoved him out of bounds, so how is that not illegal contact?

So that's a penalty on top of it not standing?!

Love the work Beane and McD have done overall but they seem to not value size on the lines. Told Epenesa to slim down. Mentioned that Rousseau might need to slim down. Feliciano goes on the Brady diet. There's a pattern, and I think it's costing us on the line. Today our OL we're getting knocked aside like bowling pins

Why does it look so easy for other offenses?

Facemask after the play? Titans are going to blow them out

Guess who is sipping avacado smoothies in his jammies and giggling watching this game?

Gross