Week 16 Official Game Thread - GB @ CHI, 7:20pm, SAT, 12/20, FOX, CHI +3

[Mongo3451]

16 hours ago, AZ54 said:

Not sure which angle you saw but on the film breakdown I only see the DB look back once and then for the last ten yards of that play his eyes are only on DJ.  

Yes, because he saw the ball in the air.  After that he was making a play.  I can't debate whether the contact the DB made was PI, because we've seen that "called/not called".  I just didn't see enough of the DB affecting DJ.  I'll stand on the face guarding part and that he was playing the ball.

[Mongo3451]

A thing of beauty...

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GvxnLP5Tn/

[Lucky Luciano]

1 hour ago, Mongo3451 said:

A thing of beauty...

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GvxnLP5Tn/

it is that.

one comment... you are wrong about that not being PI. that has been pass interference for 60+ years.

look where he places his left hand... he draped it over tj's shoulder and was using it to impede moore's momentum to the ball. that is NOT reaching for an equal right to catch the ball, that is holding any day, every day, of the week.

even if you say he was reaching for the ball and has an equal right to do so, you are wrong again. you do NOT have a right to go after the ball by climbing onto a receivers back to do so before the ball arrives. it is just not done, period.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

20 minutes ago, Lucky Luciano said:

it is that.

one comment... you are wrong about that not being PI. that has been pass interference for 60+ years.

look where he places his left hand... he draped it over tj's shoulder and was using it to impede moore's momentum to the ball. that is NOT reaching for an equal right to catch the ball, that is holding any day, every day, of the week.

even if you say he was reaching for the ball and has an equal right to do so, you are wrong again. you do NOT have a right to go after the ball by climbing onto a receivers back to do so before the ball arrives. it is just not done, period.

I think the question is, if DJ doesn't catch that ball, do we see a late flag thrown. Feels like sometimes that happens in NFL now (akin to NBA calling a late whistle to see if a shooter made the bucket or not). Not saying right approach.  Happened in Lions game yesterday where Steelers though they won the game about a minute earlier but than after the incomplete pass you had a bunch of late flags fly for PI (this was on a 4th down earlier in that same sequence).  

[adam]

DJ kind of worried me when he let the ball hit the ground when he laid out like he was dead. Hold onto the ball for a few more seconds so there is no way they can say he didn't "complete the catch". I felt like he let it go pretty quick. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

17 minutes ago, adam said:

DJ kind of worried me when he let the ball hit the ground when he laid out like he was dead. Hold onto the ball for a few more seconds so there is no way they can say he didn't "complete the catch". I felt like he let it go pretty quick. 

That thought crossed my mind

[Pixote]

1 hour ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

That thought crossed my mind

Same here. Heck, my gut reaction was it was an incomplete pass. Then I saw the celebration and refs indicating a TD. Surprised they didn't do a replay. Guess they were able to see it was clearly a TD.

[adam]

1 hour ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

That thought crossed my mind

 

2 minutes ago, Pixote said:

Same here. Heck, my gut reaction was it was an incomplete pass. Then I saw the celebration and refs indicating a TD. Surprised they didn't do a replay. Guess they were able to see it was clearly a TD.

After the Zach Miller TD, you have to make sure there is no doubt, especially when the ground is involved and the defender is contacting you. 

DJ's play was too close for comfort in my opinion especially considering how many calls have went against the Bears this year. 

[Mongo3451]

This is a pass interference.  Not called...

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BYqUW1552/

[Mongo3451]

2 hours ago, Lucky Luciano said:

it is that.

one comment... you are wrong about that not being PI. that has been pass interference for 60+ years.

look where he places his left hand... he draped it over tj's shoulder and was using it to impede moore's momentum to the ball. that is NOT reaching for an equal right to catch the ball, that is holding any day, every day, of the week.

even if you say he was reaching for the ball and has an equal right to do so, you are wrong again. you do NOT have a right to go after the ball by climbing onto a receivers back to do so before the ball arrives. it is just not done, period.

I could argue why you are wrong, but no need.  We simply interpret the rule differently.  It could go either way, period.  Here's the rule...

NFL Pass Interference (PI) is a penalty for illegally hindering a player's chance to catch a forward pass beyond one yard past the line of scrimmage, with defensive PI resulting in the ball placed at the spot of the foul (a "spot foul") plus an automatic first down, while offensive PI moves the ball back (usually 10 yards) and negates scores, with both types being difficult to officiate, leading to frequent controversy and inconsistent calls despite past experimental review rules. 

Key Aspects of Pass Interference

• Definition: An act by a player that significantly hinders an eligible player's opportunity to catch a forward pass, occurring more than one yard past the line of scrimmage.
• Offensive PI: An offensive player interferes with a defender. Often involves setting illegal blocks (picks) for teammates.
• Defensive PI: A defender impedes an offensive player from catching the ball. 

Penalties

• Offensive PI: 10-yard penalty from the previous spot, loss of down (or negates scores if on a scoring play).
• Defensive PI: Spot foul (ball placed where foul occurred) and automatic first down. 

Controversy & Rules

• Subjectivity: Pass interference is notoriously hard for officials to call consistently, leading to debates.
• Review Rule (Temporary): The NFL experimented with allowing coaches to challenge PI calls and non-calls in 2019 but did not make it a permanent rule.
• Recent Examples: Controversial calls on offensive pass interference in the final minutes of a 2025 Lions game highlighted ongoing debates about the rules' application, as noted by NFL.com and Detroit Free Press. 

Key Takeaway: While the rule aims to ensure fair play for receivers, the subjective nature of judging "significant hindrance" often creates inconsistent results, making it one of football's most debated penalties

[BearFan PHX]

2 hours ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

That thought crossed my mind

me too.

[Pixote]

Wow, I asked a simple question, assuming everyone agreed with me that it was DPI, and wondered if the refs should have flagged it, even though DJ somehow managed to catch the pass. (How he was even able to see the ball with the defender's hands in front of his facemask amazes me.)

My assumption was obviously wrong. Not everyone agrees that it was DPI. Which only proves how difficult it is for refs to make the call, unless the action is so blatant it doesn't need to be subjective.

The only indisputable fact is that DJ caught the pass, scored a TD, and the Bears won.

That is all that matters.

[Lucky Luciano]

40 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

I could argue why you are wrong, but no need.  We simply interpret the rule differently.  It could go either way, period.  Here's the rule...

NFL Pass Interference (PI) is a penalty for illegally hindering a player's chance to catch a forward pass beyond one yard past the line of scrimmage,

• Definition: An act by a player that significantly hinders an eligible player's opportunity to catch a forward pass, occurring more than one yard past the line of scrimmage.
•  
• Defensive PI: A defender impedes an offensive player from catching the ball. 

 

still sorry but that is PI.

absolutely no different putting your arm around a players neck and impeding his forward momentum than hanging onto his jersey. no different than hanging onto a players arm to impede momentum to make a catch. no different than if a ball is in the air and a defender jumps on a players back or pushes the player from behind to hinder his ability to make a catch. that is pass interference.

if the nfl has changed this concept that has been around football for over a hundred years then it is complete BS.