Bob in STL

He could be hinting at the need for remedial English lessons?

First, your assessment of his "one arming" the ball and giving the ref a chance to blow the call is nutso. So you suggest what? Ignore all the big plays that he made, don't pay him, let him go somewhere else, piss off the team and create dissension in the ranks, and create another hole to fill by the draft? We have such a great track record drafting WRs, sure, let’s get rid of the best one we have. Great idea.

I understand that you are trying to explain the rul and I apprefciate that but for me it always come back to why bother with all this? Why worry about a check swing, why add another layer of complexity? If the QB drops the ball and it is not ruled a forward pass then it is a fumble. This whole idea that an official can determine that the QB meant to tuck the ball is absurd.

We gave up 400 plus yards to the Bengels. We blew a lead in the fourth quarter. They ran the ball down our throats coming from behind. Did you watch the game?

I never said anything about conspiracy theories. I only mention fumble because the replay shows control before he hits the ground. He was touched by a defender with a knee down and with full control. Technically he is down right there. If the video reviewer saw a loose ball after that point it should not have mattered. Even with that, the ball is secure as he falls to the ground. If he sees a loose ball after that, then it brings up the fumble issue. You can side with the officials. I think it is a blown call on the field that had clear evidence to overturn. I am hoping for the same thing. It is time for our defensive staff to make the sum of the defense better than the parts.

Very well said. I like what Chan said. He was shocked by the call but he thought our guys should have handled it better because they handled tougher situations than that one. So for week 4 we looked like last years Bills. If we come back strong and beat Philly it will say a lot about the direction this team is heading.

Touched by Bengal, Knee down, ball secure. Body down ball secure. Ground CANNOT cause a fumble. Play over. Control rule does not apply. The first ref called it right and should not have yielded to the ref 20 yards behind the play. No sign in any frames of a loose ball. The call on the field should have been over turned. The catch and control rule is useful for sideline passes. The over officious ref blew it and was unfortunately supported by his cronies. Disclaimer: I think that the Bills lost for many reason and not just one play.

You and the ref that was 20 yards down field are the only people in the free world that think Johnson dropped that ball. Not enough evidence to over turn the call as made on the field. Yes, the playcalling could have been better. Of course if they hit those plays then the play calling is brilliant.

True but seriously you play the percentages, especially in a close game the road. Throw the safe underneath stuff and pick up the first down. If you want to expose their holding then do it on 2nd and short. The Zebras were lousy all game. It started with late hits on Fitz and defensive holding on our recievers. The call on Johnson in the 4th quarter was criminal.

Wannstedt is Chan's buddy too. Stern has nothing to do with this.

Pretty calm thoughts Bill, considering the poor play of the Bills and the questionable officiating. If we do not block better there will never be opportunity to get touches for Smith, Spiller and Freddy. Fitz was off. Cinci got to him early with pressure and a few late hits on the first two drives. Our OL lost the battle of the trenches to their DL and that was as much a factor as anything yesterday.

Lots of people calling for George Edwards job right now after the Bungles rolled up big yardage to come from behind and beat us in the 2nd half. My questions: Does anybody really know what Wannstedt role is? Why would we pay him bigger bucks as an Assistant Head Coach and then make his role in less than the DC? Could it be that this was Wannstedt's game plan? I am looking for facts, anyone have a link to a story that defines Wannstedt's role with the team. From my vantage point he is just as accountable, if not more, for the performance of the defense. Emotional responses such as "Edwards is Chan's Buddy" need not apply. Every coach in every sport brings in people they trust and know from past relationships.

A spike is an incomplete forward pass, no fumble. A dropped screen pass is a fumble if the pass is not ruled forward. A tuck is not a fumble when you are Tom Bardy in the AFC Championship and today.

Not really. We did not pull back or hold up. If we did a better job of blocking, running, pass routes, and passing we would have had "the foot on the pedal". Execution, or lack there of, killed us. I will add that this was the first game of the season that we were outplayed in the seocnd half. We were lousy in the second half. Credit Cinci for better adjustments and better play. The beat us on the physical part of the game. If there was a fifth quarter we might have still lost the game.

I have never seen the "not in full control" call made on a play in the middle of the field. It is always an issue on the sideline or in the back of the endzone. Even if he bobbled it going down, which he did not, he still never put the ball on the turf. There is no evidence that the ball hit the ground. Given that, at a minimum it was a catch while on the ground and down. With that play we kill more clock, and add 3 or 7 insurance points.

^^^ Glad someone understands it. Given your explanation you would think that this tuck rule is called almost every game. How about" "The Bob Rule" = if you drop the ball its a fumble. Easy, no judgment, no intent.

Dareus played a great game. Spiller made a few plays when he had the ball. Hairston filled in at LT in the fourth quarter and held his own. I saw Sheppard make a play. Lets not forget WRs Nelson and Jones.

We are a REAL team too. I think the Lions are a year ahead of us though, maybe even two.

Good post. We were not going to go 16-0. This loss could be good medicine for the tough stretch of games ahead. One thing I want our players to stop doing is to stop pleading with the officials for a call. Now they know they have to take care of business themselves.

Hardly a bad call, but a result of a miscommunication. The officiating crew was lousy from the first snap to the last play. Chan could have stood there like a statue ala Dick Jauron.

A rule that is rarely and arbitrarily enforced needs to go. Cheap fumbles? We had great pressure and that cause it.

Merriman and Dareus each had a sack. We lost a sack on the tuck ruling. No sacks in the seocnd half hurt us. Maybe we could do more with blitz packages but so far we have not tried much with blitzes. We are like 75% of the other NFL teams, we need more pass rushers.

Good perspective. I am aggravated by the officals, but more aggravated by the poor play. Not the coaches fault, this is on the players. They need to do some soul searching and they need to do things this week at practice to get the bad taste out their mouths. We will see what this team is made of. Next week it will be Philly at home. I think we can win that one.

He got hit late on the first two series and was knocked down both times.

But the rule forces another judgment? In this case they take away the fumble because he is tucking? That is a judgement call. Why don't they call it all the time then? The QB can never fumble if he is tucking the ball? Nonsense rule.