Why people are making 5th down a big deal

[ryan24]

no he can't challenge under the 2 minute warning, but as the DC it's his job to know what yard line is needed for the opponent to get a first down.....the ball was not marked in a spot that indicated a first down, even the Fox guys called is 2nd down right as the play ended and before  and TV lines were placed on the screen.....Argueing the spot IS coaching so I dont understand your logic behind that....Karma won this game for us, but Raheem has done this numerous times before in critical parts of the game ( atlanta game on the 3rd down run )..... his decision to "coach" almost cost us to go into O.T vs Washington......both times it cost us!!

So what did you want Raheem to do?

If someone notice the misalignment of the yardage markers - he could have pointed it out.  If someone had done some quick math - 12-10=2 then he could have noted the one marker on the 12 and the other on the 3 and said WTF.  If in the first game he did what he could do to get the ball spotted correctly IIRC - without a challenge of the spotting of the ball

He could have pointed it out but play was continuing. The officials weren't going to stop the clock.

[ABuccsFan]

For any of you guys who recorded this game and watched it back, it's obvious there was no 5th down and that the guy got a first down on that first play.   The TV station had the yellow first down line in the wrong spot.   All you have to do is look at the marker on the field and see that the guy had the first down easily.   He didn't make it to that yellow line, but that yellow line was a full yard further downfield than the actual down marker.

Now that is pretty damn funny!!!!

[You Mad]

Look at where he is and look at the yellow line.   THEN look at the top of the screen at the REAL first down marker.

he lands really close to a first down. He got the extra 12 inches as a generous placement from the refs. However the chain gang is clearly lined up a yard short of being a full 10 yards.

[GoBucsYo]

he lands really close to a first down. He got the extra 12 inches as a generous placement from the refs. However the chain gang is clearly lined up a yard short of being a full 10 yards.

My response to that pic was:

Good picture.   First time I've ever seen the down marker guys get it wrong.    How is that even possible?   That chain stretches 10 yards.   Can't blame the Skins for it though - they played the downs as marked on the field, not on the TV.   Had they thought it was 4th and goal instead of 3rd and goal, they would have likely made a different play selection.   Or maybe the Skins WR runs the route a bit longer on first down if he thinks that first down marker is further downfield.

That guy holding the marker needs to be fired.

[ryan24]

Good picture.   First time I've ever seen the down marker guys get it wrong.    How is that even possible?   That chain stretches 10 yards.   Can't blame the Skins for it though - they played the downs as marked on the field, not on the TV.   Had they thought it was 4th and goal instead of 3rd and goal, they would have likely made a different play selection.   Or maybe the Skins WR runs the route a bit longer on first down if he thinks that first down marker is further downfield.

That guy holding the marker needs to be fired.

The chain is on the near side of the field not the far side. What we can see in the pic is two markers which are supposed to be aligned with the official chains. They weren't.

[Chaos]

Y'know, I was at that game. Not one buc fan, player, or coach present --all of whom were very much involved in the game and paying fairly close attention-- doubted that washington had gotten that first down. Look at your precious tv pictures, are there any players objecting like there usually are even on close calls?  I agree with what what Shanny and Rah said --this is more an illusion of television angles, bad scorekeeping, and rabid fandom. No one on the field was in any doubt about what had happened on that play, even those who very much wished it hadn't. Point to your angled tv pictures all you want. I don't think there is any fire under all this smoke.

of caorse they didnt dispute it, when on the field the players only have the  First down marker on the sideline to go go by, and that marker was a yard off.....watch any play in the nfl that is close to a first down, the first thing the defenders/ball carrier  do is look to the sideline to see how close they got, if that marker is placed in the wrong spot then of coarse they wont contest it because they assumeed it was a first.

[Chaos]

no he can't challenge under the 2 minute warning, but as the DC it's his job to know what yard line is needed for the opponent to get a first down.....the ball was not marked in a spot that indicated a first down, even the Fox guys called is 2nd down right as the play ended and before  and TV lines were placed on the screen.....Argueing the spot IS coaching so I dont understand your logic behind that....Karma won this game for us, but Raheem has done this numerous times before in critical parts of the game ( atlanta game on the 3rd down run )..... his decision to "coach" almost cost us to go into O.T vs Washington......both times it cost us!!

So what did you want Raheem to do?

If someone notice the misalignment of the yardage markers - he could have pointed it out.  If someone had done some quick math - 12-10=2 then he could have noted the one marker on the 12 and the other on the 3 and said WTF.  If in the first game he did what he could do to get the ball spotted correctly IIRC - without a challenge of the spotting of the ball

He could have pointed it out but play was continuing. The officials weren't going to stop the clock.

Play was actually NOT continuing, after that play Washington let the clock run for 18 seconds and then called a time out....The clock was already stopped so the officials should have had no issue reviewing or measuring the spot!! 

[DiSalvo]

Who cares ? We won.

[dbucfan]

Who cares ? We won.

Got it, can't discuss events in games the bucs win.  Someone is missing a vibrator.

[Boid Fink]

Who cares ? We won.

Got it, can't discuss events in games the bucs win.  Someone is missing a vibrator.

HA HA HA HA HA!!

[ryan24]

no he can't challenge under the 2 minute warning, but as the DC it's his job to know what yard line is needed for the opponent to get a first down.....the ball was not marked in a spot that indicated a first down, even the Fox guys called is 2nd down right as the play ended and before  and TV lines were placed on the screen.....Argueing the spot IS coaching so I dont understand your logic behind that....Karma won this game for us, but Raheem has done this numerous times before in critical parts of the game ( atlanta game on the 3rd down run )..... his decision to "coach" almost cost us to go into O.T vs Washington......both times it cost us!!

So what did you want Raheem to do?

If someone notice the misalignment of the yardage markers - he could have pointed it out.  If someone had done some quick math - 12-10=2 then he could have noted the one marker on the 12 and the other on the 3 and said WTF.  If in the first game he did what he could do to get the ball spotted correctly IIRC - without a challenge of the spotting of the ball

He could have pointed it out but play was continuing. The officials weren't going to stop the clock.

Play was actually NOT continuing, after that play Washington let the clock run for 18 seconds and then called a time out....The clock was already stopped so the officials should have had no issue reviewing or measuring the spot!!

Apparently they did.

[ryan24]

Y'know, I was at that game. Not one buc fan, player, or coach present --all of whom were very much involved in the game and paying fairly close attention-- doubted that washington had gotten that first down. Look at your precious tv pictures, are there any players objecting like there usually are even on close calls?  I agree with what what Shanny and Rah said --this is more an illusion of television angles, bad scorekeeping, and rabid fandom. No one on the field was in any doubt about what had happened on that play, even those who very much wished it hadn't. Point to your angled tv pictures all you want. I don't think there is any fire under all this smoke.

of caorse they didnt dispute it, when on the field the players only have the  First down marker on the sideline to go go by, and that marker was a yard off.....watch any play in the nfl that is close to a first down, the first thing the defenders/ball carrier  do is look to the sideline to see how close they got, if that marker is placed in the wrong spot then of coarse they wont contest it because they assumeed it was a first.

So now they shouldn't have disputed it. Can we go down the same set of tracks?