Turnover on the Opening Kick Return

[ganesh]

I thought the Bills recovered the Kick Return on the opening kick off, after the Titans fumbled. I distinctly remember the referees pointing towards the Titans end zone.

 

However, two different articles today cite that the Titans recovered at the 2 yard line. Any ideas what happened there? I know the play itself was negated, but just curious to know the decision

[Jerry Christ]

Duke Williams was offsides but they called it on Easley.

[MDH]

Duke Williams was offsides but they called it on Easley.

 

That wasn't the question he asked...

 

I don't know about the articles you read but the ref pointed that it was Buffalo's ball as I jumped out of my seat because of it.

[Jerry Christ]

I understand, but regardless of the article if you were there,,,,,,,,you would know the bills recovered and that one of our guys was offsides. Therefore, it doesn't really matter because we had to kick again.

[CountryCletus]

My seasons are on the 35... Thus, every kickoff from the tunnel endzone is directly in front of me as I can see down the line- I can't recall the last time that someone WASN'T offsides on a kick off.... He must have been WAY over the line to get that called. I didn't see a replay and I was at the game- can someone tell me how far over he was?

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

We definitely recovered it.

 

And it was Easley who was offsides. That sort of penalty is grounds for benching, IMO. Totally inexcusable, especially when ST is your one job.

[Nanker]

The kick off was injury prone. Hoo new?

[Jerry Christ]

We definitely recovered it.

 

And it was Easley who was offsides. That sort of penalty is grounds for benching, IMO. Totally inexcusable, especially when ST is your one job.

no they called it on easley but someone posted a picture of it. I was at the game as well. It was too close to call if he was offsides but thats the refs being refs.

[MarkAF43]

no they called it on easley but someone posted a picture of it. I was at the game as well. It was too close to call if he was offsides but thats the refs being refs.

 

 

They called it on Easley because he was the one offsides, unless you can provide this picture. The replays showed Easley was the one over the line.

[papazoid]

referee announced: "ruling on the field was the ball was muffed in the field of play, recovered by buffalo, offsides number 81, the kicking team, 5 yard penalty will re-kick."

 

 

at the exact moment the kicker makes contact with the ball, easly's foot and knee are in the air, across the plane of the line but NOT on the ground. he is also the first to make contact with the returner.

[freeagentqb]

the offsides player was second to the left of the kicker. That spot is manned by #27 duke williams.

[Augie]

So..... huh? These are some very diverse views. Someone posted that you couldn't cross the line, but others posted you couldn't touch down across the line. I don't even know the rule exactly. And who was it? That seems simple enough. I was there and didn't DVR it. (Oops!)

[BuffaninATL]

We definitely recovered it.

 

And it was Easley who was offsides. That sort of penalty is grounds for benching, IMO. Totally inexcusable, especially when ST is your one job.

 

It needs to be stated that a mitigating factor causing the offsides was a new kicker (Cundiff) who's approach and pace to the kickoff was noticeably slower than usual. I am not defending the penalty itself, b/c the Bills have way too many ST penalties, but it happened with a kicker who had just been signed within the week leading up to the game. Maybe that's one contributing factor to Cundiff getting the axe.

[Augie]

It needs to be stated that a mitigating factor causing the offsides was a new kicker (Cundiff) who's approach and pace to the kickoff was noticeably slower than usual. I am not defending the penalty itself, b/c the Bills have way too many ST penalties, but it happened with a kicker who had just been signed within the week leading up to the game. Maybe that's one contributing factor to Cundiff getting the axe.

I had not thought of that, but it's a good point. Still would be nice if the coaches had, I dunno, coached through that?

[NoSaint]

 

It needs to be stated that a mitigating factor causing the offsides was a new kicker (Cundiff) who's approach and pace to the kickoff was noticeably slower than usual. I am not defending the penalty itself, b/c the Bills have way too many ST penalties, but it happened with a kicker who had just been signed within the week leading up to the game. Maybe that's one contributing factor to Cundiff getting the axe.

Moving to a 3rd kicker in 3 weeks helps the timing?

[BillsFan130]

My seasons are on the 35... Thus, every kickoff from the tunnel endzone is directly in front of me as I can see down the line- I can't recall the last time that someone WASN'T offsides on a kick off.... He must have been WAY over the line to get that called. I didn't see a replay and I was at the game- can someone tell me how far over he was?

They showed a replay, he was offside but wasn't by a wide margin. And I agree with you, it does seem like every kickoff someone is offside

[Tuco]

I thought the Bills recovered the Kick Return on the opening kick off, after the Titans fumbled. I distinctly remember the referees pointing towards the Titans end zone.

 

However, two different articles today cite that the Titans recovered at the 2 yard line. Any ideas what happened there? I know the play itself was negated, but just curious to know the decision

From NFL.com Play By Play-

 

1. Tennessee Titans at 15:00
2. 8-B.Cundiff kicks 69 yards from BUF 35 to TEN -4. 20-B.Sankey MUFFS catch, touched at TEN -4, RECOVERED by BUF-88-M.Goodwin at TEN 2. PENALTY on BUF-81-M.Easley, Offside on Free Kick, 5 yards, enforced at BUF 35 - No Play.

[bbb]

referee announced: "ruling on the field was the ball was muffed in the field of play, recovered by buffalo, offsides number 81, the kicking team, 5 yard penalty will re-kick."

 

 

at the exact moment the kicker makes contact with the ball, easly's foot and knee are in the air, across the plane of the line but NOT on the ground. he is also the first to make contact with the returner.

 

I watched that slowed down a number of times, and the way the announcers made it sound was that the foot had to touch the ground - and it clearly had not. So, what is the rule?

[BuffaninATL]

Moving to a 3rd kicker in 3 weeks helps the timing?

 

not sure how to address your question other than to say when a new kicker who has had less than 1 week of practice decides to slowly stroll up to the ball on the kickoff, it is somewhat understandable how someone on the kickoff team is out of sync and went offsides.

[Matt in KC]

Goodwin clearly popped up with the ball.

 

The rule says they can't be over the line:

ARTICLE 3. FREE KICK FORMATION. When the ball is kicked on a free kick down: (a) After the ball has been made ready for play, all kicking team (Team A) players other than the kicker must be lined up no more than five yards behind their restraining line; and (b) All kicking team players must be inbounds and behind the ball when it is kicked, except: (1) the holder of a placekick (3-18-1-Item 2) may be beyond the line, and (2) the kicker may be beyond the line, provided that his kicking foot is not beyond the line. © At least four players of the kicking team must be on each side of the ball. At least three players must be lined up outside each inbounds line, one of whom must be outside the yard-line number.

Official Rule Book for 2015: http://uaasnfl.blob.core.windows.net/live/1807/2015_nfl_rule_book_final.pdf

[ganesh]

 

That wasn't the question he asked...

 

I don't know about the articles you read but the ref pointed that it was Buffalo's ball as I jumped out of my seat because of it.

Here are the few articles that quote that the Titans recovered:

 

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/sports/article_4388a45e-71c4-11e5-9e51-6fd21be9fa6c.html

 

After being brow-beaten all week for leading the NFL in penalties, the Bills couldn’t have had a worse start. Tennessee muffed the opening kickoff and ended up recovering at its own 2-yard-line … a great spot for Buffalo’s ‘D’ to start the game. Instead, wide receiver Marcus Easley, a special teams standout, was called for offsides. On the rekick, the Titans got out to the 23-yard line.

[SF Bills Fan]

I agree with those that said he was iffy on offside. It was extremely close. Lots of special teams calls go uncalled unless they are glaring. And they rarely get called. We are getting called for a lot of them this year.

[bbb]

I agree with those that said he was iffy on offside. It was extremely close. Lots of special teams calls go uncalled unless they are glaring. And they rarely get called. We are getting called for a lot of them this year.

 

How many times have you seen a team have to rekick - not that many for me.

Here are the few articles that quote that the Titans recovered:

 

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/sports/article_4388a45e-71c4-11e5-9e51-6fd21be9fa6c.html

 

After being brow-beaten all week for leading the NFL in penalties, the Bills couldn’t have had a worse start. Tennessee muffed the opening kickoff and ended up recovering at its own 2-yard-line … a great spot for Buffalo’s ‘D’ to start the game. Instead, wide receiver Marcus Easley, a special teams standout, was called for offsides. On the rekick, the Titans got out to the 23-yard line.

 

Not a good look for the OTH

[GunnerBill]

I think it was wrongly called as well - when I looked it back it is Duke who is offside.

[MDH]

I agree with those that said he was iffy on offside. It was extremely close. Lots of special teams calls go uncalled unless they are glaring. And they rarely get called. We are getting called for a lot of them this year.

 

It wasn't iffy at all. He was off sides. This trend of blaming the refs when the Bills actually did something wrong is pretty hilarious. There are plenty of iffy calls to criticize (like the Graham unnecessary roughness), let's not critique the ones they actually got right. He was off sides by a good yard.