The point is to protect the players and when you see a hand in the face mask area and his head get jerked like that the flag is coming out way more often than not.

Hell, a play or two earlier everyone watching saw the Lions DB run our receiver over and if they can't get that right how the heck can you expect an official to know whether the fingers actually grabbed the mask or not when it absolutely looked that way.

It was all based on what the eye could see with no camera angles or closeups or replays and from that perspective it was a good call. You don't want to see a call like that than keep your hands out of the guys face. Simple.

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The non PI call 2 plays before. The Rules Expert immediately came on and said good no call. Defenders head was turned, so no call. If that's the case, should the DB's be coached to turn their head and then shove, grab, etc? Apparently they are allowed to do anything if their head is in the general direction of the ball. Play deep and level the WR whenever, just make sure you are looking for the ball!

Just more confusion about the rules. The NFL needs to hire some 8yr old kids. They have common sense enough to know what is a catch and what is not. They won't understand all of the nuances of the rules, but if your rules have nuances, they are crappy rules. My opinion.

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Here is the way I look at the topic of subjective calls made at game speed. If the call in question has to be analyzed in slow motion from several angles to be determined wrong or right and you still have disagreement then I don't really have a problem with the call. If the call in question would have the benefiting teams fans bitching just as loudly as the opposing teams fans had the teams been reversed I don't really have a problem with the call.

The face mask and the PI calls fit both of those descriptions. Put the Lions offense and Packers defense on the field for that last play and Packers fans would be crying no facemask and Lions fans would be screaming hell yeah it was a facemask. Put Calvin Johnson down field on that pass and have Shields do the same thing to him Packers fans would be screaming Shields has the right to go for the ball or they should let them play and stop over officiating and Lions fans would be screaming for the flag.

I have no problem with either call. One went for us and one went against us.

obviously not all fans fit this category but the most vocal ones certainly do. I appreciate the honesty with which muscy has approached this but it is easier to take that stance since we ended up winning. I'm not saying you would feel differently if we had lost but it is a distinction that some fans would make. After seeing the play in slow motion I don't think I would classify it as a facemask either but at full speed, like so many have said, that is going to get called 9 times out of 10 and to be honest in a case like that I'd rather see it called. Even if it had been a reviewable play, and I don't think it should be, I don't think it would have been reversed.

That play could have been flagged 3 different ways. Facemask, borderline but qualifying. Illegal hands to the face, again borderline but qualifying, or Horse Collar. Result would have been the same.

The PI was definitely a PI, and I would agree with the call if it was against us as well. I may argue that they need to change the rule to allow defense to play, but not that the call was wrong. Looking back doesn't make contact legal by rule, it is playing the ball that does and he wasn't playing the ball he was just looking back while running the WR over.

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I get the controversy on the facemask call, and when I remove my packer glasses I don't think it was a face mask

I do not believe it qualifies as horsecollar as that can only happen on the back side, pulling someone inside the shoulder pads from the front is not a penalty to my understanding of the rule.

The only other option I see would be roughing the passer, if for some reason the QB protection for any contact to the head or neck area wasn't given up at that point in the play.

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No player shall grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads
or jersey, and pull the runner toward the ground.

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http://s85.photobucket.com/user/paisans_2006/media/The_refs_don_t_hate_the_Lions_the_Lions_just_make_dumb_plays.gif.html 

GIF of the facemask. Pretty cut and dried imo.

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Hand inside the mask, he could have bitten the thumb.

the helmet is not going to move like that if he doesn't hit the facemask