DID BIG BEN SEE THE FLAG?

by grapes on Dec 28, 2009 10:54 AM EST

Just to throw out something other than playoff scenarios, I ask you this, did Big Ben make the worst decision ever made by a quarterback on the last pass he threw (intercepted by Zbikowski and run back into Steeler territory)? Or, did he see the illegal contact flag, and figured it was a free play? God in heaven I hope he saw the flag!!! If not, that was the most careless gamble by a QB I have seen in a long time.

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thats still a big gamble though, just assuming the flag is against the defense. On another note, did it seem to anyone else that Ben knew they were gonna jump before he hit Wallace on the big play from our endzone. It seemed to me that he knew where he was going before they even threw the flag.

by indianasteelers on Dec 28, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions

Also you have to ask yourself

Why even go deep at that point. Maybe ben wanted to rub it in but man we’ve had a problem all year going deep at the end of games, a la the 2nd Bengals game. All we needed was a first down.

Steelers football is 60 mins.

by tannofsteel84 on Dec 28, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

If a flag is thrown at the snap, and the refs don't blow the play dead, it is on the D

besides, Ben has this little tiny speaker in his helmet that the coaches can talk to him through. I would imagine they were yelling at him “free play!” (just like I was) as soon as the flag was thrown and not blown dead.

"Chris! That's a terrible word! Pussywillows..."
-Lois Griffin

by Steel Spike on Dec 28, 2009 2:05 PM EST up reply actions

i think the speaker is shut off at a predetermined(by the NFL) time on the play clock, so no one wouidl have been able to tell him that. that is, if my thinking is correct.

by ncmt40 on Dec 28, 2009 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

Hmmm...

Did not know that

"Chris! That's a terrible word! Pussywillows..."
-Lois Griffin

by Steel Spike on Dec 29, 2009 1:28 PM EST up reply actions

Not always on the D

Illegal formation and a few others don’t stop the play.

"Sick Puppy is ultimately as unforgiving as nature's order... There is no redemption or apology." - wikipedia

by Sick Puppy on Dec 28, 2009 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

True

but don’t the refs throw the flag at the player who committed the infraction? Besides, isn’t it the back judge who calls illegal formation/shift?

"Chris! That's a terrible word! Pussywillows..."
-Lois Griffin

by Steel Spike on Dec 29, 2009 1:35 PM EST up reply actions

Good question about who is responsible for that call

NFL’s web site doesn’t give a definite answer. http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/jurisdiction
Read that this was the Head Linesman and Line Judge’s call at another site. http://www.profootballinsight.net/2009/12/from-the-stripes-officiating-positions-and-duties/

I believe that the refs are throwing the flag to the spot of the foul. When it is the line of scrimmage, like offsides or false start, the line judge just throws it up in the air because he is at the line of scrimmage.

"Sick Puppy is ultimately as unforgiving as nature's order... There is no redemption or apology." - wikipedia

by Sick Puppy on Dec 29, 2009 2:14 PM EST up reply actions

Oh well

It’s a moot point anyway.

"Chris! That's a terrible word! Pussywillows..."
-Lois Griffin

by Steel Spike on Dec 29, 2009 3:26 PM EST up reply actions

I guess not, we got lucky

And the reason to go long is the old theory that a long interception is just as good as a punt, which would have been forthcoming had the pass been incomplete. Of course, you don’t count on the long return of an interception, which really made the difference here. Then again, you could have had a long return on a punt also. Probably the best play to run would have been another running play to milk another 40 seconds, then punt. Baltimore was out of timeouts. Bottom lne is the Steelers got lucky on that penalty since it iced the game.

Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history

by maryrose on Dec 28, 2009 12:25 PM EST reply actions

Flaw in this theory...

…is that if there was no flag, pick isn’t good as a punt, cause then Steelers get no benefit from the clock moving. Once Ben was in trouble, more prudent thing to do would’ve been to run for as many yards as he could, slide, keep t he clock moving.

Of course, I’m of the opinion that the proper playcall in that situation, 3rd & 11, 2 minutes left, Ravens out of timeouts, is a run from the outset. Ravens then likely get the ball back with 1:10 remaining, rather than 1:50, and around their own 20.

Tomlin had “15 minutes of evidence” that his D was making plays.

by swissvale72 on Dec 29, 2009 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

I will trust that he knew what was up

that pass to Wallace was bad ass to boot

"Now that I'm here, I don't want to just be here, I want to be here for a long time." Hines Ward, 1998 4th round draft pick.

by kick him in the head on Dec 28, 2009 12:25 PM EST reply actions

like the onside kick

if the pass is complete, it looks like a touchdown(i only saw the highlights since the game was not televised where i live) which would make this discussion not even be a discussion. I did hear that BB said he saw the flag and knew it was a free play. he may have been talking about another play, i am not sure.

by ncmt40 on Dec 28, 2009 12:38 PM EST reply actions

He was talking about the long pass to Wallace made from our end zone

"We are only going to score 17 points?"

by Han on Dec 28, 2009 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks

they showed the Bills-Falcons game for some reason. i caught the highlights on the NFL network while i was doing other stuff.

by ncmt40 on Dec 28, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions

IF he threw it farther that int becomes a TD

I getting tired of saying this: Dick LeBeau’s system is so complex very few rookies can make an impact.

by Steel in FL on Dec 28, 2009 12:46 PM EST reply actions

I don't think so. Steelers got lucky.

However, it seems like most of Ben’s long passes to Wallace seem underthrown. Ben should trust Wallace’s speed. Either that or Ben doesn’t have the range anymore (which I find hard to believe).

"We are only going to score 17 points?"

by Han on Dec 28, 2009 1:14 PM EST reply actions

I don't think anybody can overthrow Wallace

"Chris! That's a terrible word! Pussywillows..."
-Lois Griffin

by Steel Spike on Dec 28, 2009 2:08 PM EST up reply actions

Giving Ben too much credit

Hey, everyone can complain about Tomlin’s over aggresiveness/foolishness in situations like this, but the guy knows his team. He’s learned from that garbage late playcall against the Jags 2 years ago. You Play To Win The Game!

13 years and no playoff wins for the Dallas Cowboys... SWEET!

by idiscgolftexas on Dec 28, 2009 2:08 PM EST reply actions

I highly doubt he saw the flag.

I think he saw how open Wallace was on the sideline and just didn’t get enough hot sauce on the pass.

by theatrain on Dec 28, 2009 3:28 PM EST reply actions

I heard Ben say he saw the flag and knew it was a free play

so any ravens fan showing up and crying about the refs taking a pick away need to recognize.

"It was an attrition football game and you know we like that."

by showtime on Dec 28, 2009 6:52 PM EST reply actions

That would certainly have surprised them.

"You have to make it happen." Joe Greene

by LongTimeSteelersFan on Dec 29, 2009 11:37 AM EST up reply actions

Although shown as a break for the Steelers on TV highlights, Ben Roethlisberger said he knew the Ravens were getting penalized when he threw deep to Mike Wallace with two minutes left, a pass that was intercepted but nullified by a penalty.

“I saw the ref throw the flag,” Roethlisberger said. “I thought I might as well throw it deep.”

from http://pit.scout.com/2/932959.html

by acrollet on Dec 29, 2009 3:00 PM EST reply actions