Schiano Offers Fix For NFL’s “Flawed System”
December 3rd, 2013
Greg Schiano served up a passionate case for an NFL rule change last night.
“There is no foul for defensive pass interference. The ball was intercepted in front of the contact.”
Those were the words barked by referee Ron Winter during the third quarter of the Bucs-Panthers game Sunday. Trailing 17-6, and driving on their own 46 yard line, the Bucs threw deep on 2nd-and-1 to Vincent Jackson. The zebras flagged Panthers cornerback Drayton Florence for holding Vincent Jackson as he came back for the underthrown ball.
But the flag was picked up negating a roughly 45 yard penalty because officials didn’t think Jackson could have successfully come back to the intercepted ball. It was a horrible call (you can watch it here), especially involving an elite athlete like Jackson, who has come back for much tougher throws.
Greg Schiano expressed his frustration with the NFL’s “flawed system” of replay review on WDAE-AM 620 last night. Schiano would like to see the league fix what’s needlessly broken.
“In real-time things get explained and things get seen, but, you know, when you watch it on the tape you can see. And it’s unfortunate,” Schiano said.. “But in real-time, that’s the way things are called. You have to call it like you see it and there’s not the benefit of replay. I’ve said since I got into this league that I do think we have a flawed system with the replay. If you’re gonna have replay, then leave it up to the coach. It puts more pressure on the coach. But let the coach challenge whatever he wants, and if you give him two challenges, that’s it. You got two a game and maybe you earn a third by being correct the first two times. But don’t limit what you can challenge.
“And then it’s up to the coach. The coach knows that a defensive pass interference may have to take a resounding play for you to get it overturned. But you know what, you’ll learn that. There’s just so much at stake. I actually do feel for the officials because there’s only seven of them and the height-weight-speed of these players has increased exponentially in the last 10 years. Yet the officials, they’re not changing. And some of them are getting older, actually. So the reality is that we have the technology to do it. And I don’t mind the added pressure on the head coach to make those decisions. I actually would like it because then at least you feel like, you know what, if there’s a bad miss, that you have a chance to get it right.”
Schiano detailed that the head-shaking flag pick-up involving Jackson was as much about Jackson’s ability to break up the pass as his chance to catch it.
“Whether he can catch the ball or not, I don’t know, but can he knock the ball down so the defensive back can’t intercept it,” Schiano said. “Because still then we have good field position. You know, that was a 2nd-and-1; we had run the ball for a nine-yard gain. We have 3rd-and-1 at midfield. Go ahead. That’s fine. But that’s the way it goes.
“And I don’t say that in any way to try to [dismiss] what I said about replay. I just think that’s where we are now in today’s [game.] With the media coverage that is on each game, there’s enough cameras to give you great views. It’s not like the old days where there was only a couple of games that were televised. I mean every game is televised with multiple cameras. Why not use it. Because there’s a lot at stake now. It’s not like the old days the other way, either. I mean we’re talking about billion dollar franchises. This is big stuff.”
Joe’s 100 percent behind Schiano with this. Having plays and calls that are unreviewable by league rule is ludicrous.
December 3rd, 2013 at 11:30 am
I agree entirely….the same goes for some of the Personal Foul calls….It puts all the pressure on the Coach…not the refs.
A coach ought to be able to challenge anything and the review officials should be able to overturn a bad judgement call.
December 3rd, 2013 at 11:31 am
Agree, what a horrible (non)call and pickup of the flag. These old geezers are going to determine that Jackson couldn’t get over to at least break up that pass? Not only that, what if the ball was tipped instead of caught, Jackson could have caught a tip for sure….so at least defensive holding should have been called no matter what.
December 3rd, 2013 at 11:35 am
Like the government, the refs are a bunch of control freaks.
December 3rd, 2013 at 11:37 am
There’s no reason why some penalties can’t be challenged. That was a horrible call on Sunday. Even the announcers agreed.
Interesting the Panthers have benefited from the same type of “flag-then no flag” call this season.
The NFL wants Carolina in the playoffs. Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge the refs control games for certain teams has their head in a hole. Perfect example is the Falcons. That team ALWAYS got crucial calls in their favor. This season, they haven’t. And they’re 3-9.
And its my opinion that the holding call is the main way games are influenced. How many times did Carolina get away with holding on Sunday? I’m not saying it would’ve changed the game but blatant holding calls going unflagged is ridiculous. And then to flag VJ on that ticky tack holding against the Bucs was absurd. Call it both ways or none at all.
December 3rd, 2013 at 11:48 am
This is a great idea….I would like to see the reason why it shouldn’t be implemented…..everybody wins….the refs get bailed out on a bad call…the coach is responsible to make the decision to challenge….the fans get a better result either way.
December 3rd, 2013 at 12:31 pm
I like Schiano’s suggestion. good post. Obviously, that team / crew of refs have not witnessed some of Jackson’s circus catches therefore I don’t think its fair to rule it un-catchable. Now Jackson does have a problem when the ball hits him right in the hands on occasion. Replay is flawed. I am also sick and tired of every other play attempted downfield has a penalty; DPI or Personal Foul. I am all for player safety but at what point does it cross the line into the infamous group of dodgeball, kill the man with the ball and other outlawed great American traditions. The PC police are out of hand. STOP THE WUSSIFICATION OF AMERICA NOW… Let the DB’s Play
December 3rd, 2013 at 12:54 pm
i agree with Snook seen a million times!!
December 3rd, 2013 at 1:10 pm
The pick-up was erroneous; holding a WR is a foul regardless of whether it affects a catch or not. So, not a point-of-contact penalty, but it should have been 10 yards & a first down.
I have always thought that if a red-flag challenge is reversed, since the call was wrong, the coach should get another challenge.
December 3rd, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Thats how the Panthers play. Their chode MLB mugged Gronkowski in the endzone and forced an interception when they played the Pats.
December 3rd, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Can someone explain to me, why holding is not called !! how many times has a pass been thrown on the left side of field ad holding call is called that happened to a receiver on the right side/ or center of field away from play. !!! the ref picks up flag tells me they are allowed to hold as long it is not thrown to the receiver they are covering and pass must be on target..
December 3rd, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Someone has mentioned this, but the Panthers have benefited greatly on 3 picked up flag calls. The famous one against NE. There was one against Mia at the end of the first half. Huge call that probably cost the Miami 4 points. Game probably would have been 20-3 Mia at half with the call. Same LB did the interfering too (Luke K.). And now this one that hurt the Bucs. I don’t think the Bucs would have beaten the Panthers, but the other 2 games could have easily been different. It gives you the pause. But the officiating has been really horrible this yr.
December 3rd, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Officiating always sucks but it is a tough job for anyone to do. Penalties should be reviewable and it makes sense to get it right. Players want it, coaches want it and fans want it, so WTF???
The Bucs were still in the game when the PI flag was picked up and it was a game changer so like so many calls are. Refs should not be the ones to control the outcome of games yet they are always. The Bucs get so many holding calls yet our D line gets held constantly without calls. I’m so sick and tired of the officiating. It really can ruin a game ruin your whole day. Fights breakout over bad calls, dogs may get beat or even the occasional wench gets a backhand after too much Rum. Scalawag.
December 3rd, 2013 at 2:52 pm
I agree with Snook.
The NFL seems to be influenced by our lying, biased, self-centered control freak liberal government.
They’ll piss right down your back and tell you to your face that it’s raining.
Keep it up NFL.
All fads and trends have an end.
Yours may be closer than you think.
December 3rd, 2013 at 3:33 pm
Or… Don’t throw the fn flag unless you’re going to call a penalty.
December 3rd, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Now he just needs to figure out a fix for his flawed coaching style.
December 3rd, 2013 at 4:09 pm
I was at the game Sunday. Before I get into it, I must add this… Our GM stopped and had a candid conversation with me, which impressed me. He didn’t have to stop to speak. Also, my son got Revis’ and GMC’s autograph. I found them all to be very humble, and my son and I were very appreciative of their time. My son will be a lifelong Bucs fan like I am, due to this experience. My father took me to Bucs practices as a child and I always got autographs from players and got to say hi to them. I am thrilled my son got this experience too, specially since we live in SC now.
Now… that picked up flag was atrocious and it came at a critical part of the game. I was appalled upon seeing it live. VJ was clearly trying to make a play and was impeded by the defender. It was clearly interference.
December 3rd, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Bert Emanuel approves this message.
December 3rd, 2013 at 4:39 pm
lol…
look at the losers blaming the guberment!
December 3rd, 2013 at 5:13 pm
My humble opinion on why calls aren’t reviewable is the same in all the major soprts- Referee unions won’t sign off on it because it undermines their God-complex. Kinda like being the parent of a child star; you may make 10 times what I do, but what I say goes.
December 3rd, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Yeah penalties like this will never be reviewable because the league knows a ton of them would be overturned, especially dpi and unnecessary roughness, eroding the confidence of fans and players in the refs even more. It sucks but it is what it is.
December 3rd, 2013 at 7:16 pm
Several points here.
1st. The officials do NOT make the rules, nor do they have a say in the use of the replay (part of the rules).
2nd. *If* the leagues’ rules committee decides to go with Coach Schianos’ idea, just exactly who do you think will be reviewing the challenge? Yea, that’s right, another official from the same crew.
3rd. Before the ball is thrown, there is NO pass interference. It’s ‘illegal contact’. As soon as the ball is thrown, contact becomes ‘pass interference’, as long as the ball is ‘catchable’. Once the ball is in the air, there is no ‘illegal contact’. IOW, if the ball is not catchable, the receiver can be tackled without a penalty. That is how I read the rules as they now stand.
December 3rd, 2013 at 9:07 pm
@mpmalloy, I like your comment.
December 3rd, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Bill Bellicheck said the exact same thing
December 5th, 2013 at 9:21 am
Same thing happen for Panthers against the Patriots last month. Ref are suppose to enforce the rules, not decide what a player can do or not do. What’s the difference between these kind of calls and the calls made by the sub refs. Football ref are getting as bad as baseball umps.