Philly, Buffalo, Kansas City - How Refs Treat Them

[folz]

Honestly, if we didn't get hosed by the refs this year (or got the Philly/KC treatment instead), it would be a totally different picture. We would be sitting at 9-3 (or better) right now...with wins against Philly...but more importantly, AFC teams Cincinnati and Jacksonville. We would be lamenting that we might not get the #1 seed because of the three games we shouldn't have lost (Jets, Pats, Broncos---by a combined 12 points), rather than wondering if we can run the table to sneak into the playoffs. On the one hand, maybe the Jax and Cincy losses helped in the firing of Ken Dorsey (which maybe doesn't happen if our record is better), so maybe things happen for a reason, but I think we and the media/other fans would have a much different view of the 2023 Bills if we were sitting at 9-3 right now (top of the AFC East), having just beat Philly (the 9-1 reigning NFC Champs), with a blowout win against the Dolphins, and a 5-3 Conference record (instead of 3-5).

 

I'm linking a couple of videos from a channel called Bills News Consolidated where he breaks down the bad calls or non-calls in the Eagles and Bengals games. You may not agree with all of his interpretations (he is a Bills fan after all and we all have a little bias built in when it comes to our team), but I do think he makes a pretty good case in showing how lopsided the refereeing was in those contests.

 

In the first half against Philly...when we were rolling and they were struggling, the refs called 10 penalties for 75 yards against the Bills, while the Eagles only got called for one 5-yard false start penalty (and by the way, they didn't call another penalty on the Eagles until there was only :38 seconds left in the 4th quarter). And that doesn't even get into all of the penalties by the Eagles that the refs just chose to overlook. And I could add at least a few more non-calls from the ones he points out in his video: the blindside hit on Diggs, a blatant hold on an Eagles kick return, etc.

 

And in the Bengals game, he shows 12 calls that didn't go the Bills way that were either not fouls, or ticks-tacky fouls that weren't being called consistently on both teams, etc. He didn't do a breakdown of the Jacksonville game, but the officiating was just as horrendous in that one. It was obvious, with the NFL's "experiment," that they wanted Jacksonville to come out on top of that one.

 

Call it what you will...conspiracy, corruption, incompetence...but it seems pretty obvious that the Bills did get screwed this year.

 

[This is not to say that the Bills haven't shot themselves in the foot as well, or that the offense wasn't anemic for a good stretch, that there wasn't internal strife causing problems, etc., etc. But even with all of that, we still win these three games if the refs called them fairly/consistently, imo.]

 

 

 

[DrBob806]

15 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Damar Hamlin. 😏 

Snowstorm, outdoor game moved indoors to Detroit.

 

Honestly, that was the biggest favor to the Bills in franchise history. I haven't bitched about much since, really. Pittsburgh & Washington were available. They stuck it to Cle because of the Watson contract IMHO.

[ExiledInIllinois]

3 minutes ago, DrBob806 said:

Snowstorm, outdoor game moved indoors to Detroit.

 

Honestly, that was the biggest favor to the Bills in franchise history. I haven't bitched about much since, really. Pittsburgh & Washington were available. They stuck it to Cle because of the Watson contract IMHO.

Yeah!  I forgot about that...

 

BUT Detroit has a history w/BFLo. Bills were founded there and Bills played there in Snovember 2014. They accommodate us... "Our Dome Away From Home!"

[DrBob806]

2 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Yeah!  I forgot about that...

 

BUT Detroit has a history w/BFLo. Bills were founded there and Bills played there in Snovember 2014. They accommodate us... "Our Dome Away From Home!"

I particularly remember ESPN interviewing McD on a Thursday, asking him what the Bills' backup plan was as the storm was near. I was like "why aren't you guys outta here yet?" It was similar to people who won't evacuate from a hurricane....but they aren't multi-millionaires in a multi-billion dollar league. Truly an odd situation that the Bills benefited greatly  from (although they were losing early on in Detroit).

[ExiledInIllinois]

25 minutes ago, DrBob806 said:

I particularly remember ESPN interviewing McD on a Thursday, asking him what the Bills' backup plan was as the storm was near. I was like "why aren't you guys outta here yet?" It was similar to people who won't evacuate from a hurricane....but they aren't multi-millionaires in a multi-billion dollar league. Truly an odd situation that the Bills benefited greatly  from (although they were losing early on in Detroit).

Yup! We made both Snovember games on the drive thru.

 

First one was free in 2014. Full refund from StubHub & all 4 of us go in free, 50 yard line seats against the Jets. That's when D carried Schwartz off on their shoulders...

[Orlando Tim]

18 hours ago, BobbyC81 said:

I never understand the refs rationale on some of these out of bounds calls.  If a guy steps out on his own, shouldn’t that stop the clock?  I’ve seen guys pushed out by a defender and the ref still doesn’t stop the clock.  Other times, a guy is tackled near the sideline and rolls out of bounds and they stop the clock.  Like many other scenarios, there isn’t a lot of consistency.   I know the rules are different for the last 2 minutes but you even see the players reactions to the unexpected calls.

The rule is that of a guy is moving forward while going out clock stops but if he is moving backwards it is to continue. Sadly they do screw up such a simple rule often, and I do not mean just on the ones the guys is basically going straight sideways. 

[pennstate10]

6 hours ago, Goin Breakdown said:

It's because they are well

coached and have excellent fundamentals. Also no one on the right side of that Oline consistently lines up illegally and gets away with it. 

[Bookie Man]

NFL reffing is a damn tragedy.

[North Buffalo]

What you get with part time refs... for all the yapping these guys have ft jobs elsewhere... just stupid.

[chongli]

 

[frostbitmic]

We're #1 ... We're #1

 

Buffalo vs Dallas will feature a flag on every play.

Edited December 7, 2023 by frostbitmic

[Scott7975]

Pretty good talk. Interesting hearing about head coaches discussing it and Jerry Jones take on it.  IMO officiating has always been bad but this year just seems egregiously worse than any other season I can remember.

 

 

[Billzgobowlin]

The Eagles game was beyond ridiculous but I think every fan thinks the refs are against their team especially if they lose.  It's easier to find missed calls when you are focused on your players getting held, etc.  

[BobbyC81]

On 12/5/2023 at 5:04 PM, Orlando Tim said:

The rule is that of a guy is moving forward while going out clock stops but if he is moving backwards it is to continue. Sadly they do screw up such a simple rule often, and I do not mean just on the ones the guys is basically going straight sideways. 

How did they come up with that rule?  If you’re going backwards, you’re likely losing yards so let’s penalize you some more.

 

I noticed that other dumb rule again, where refs, NY or whoever decide to review a play in the last 2 minutes of a half.  When they’re done, the team with the ball gets penalized by either having 10 seconds run off the clock or use a timeout.  They could be at the goal line with less than 10 seconds left in the half and no timeouts, the refs decide to review the play and it’s “Sorry the half/game is over”

[Orlando Tim]

6 minutes ago, BobbyC81 said:

How did they come up with that rule?  If you’re going backwards, you’re likely losing yards so let’s penalize you some more.

 

I noticed that other dumb rule again, where refs, NY or whoever decide to review a play in the last 2 minutes of a half.  When they’re done, the team with the ball gets penalized by either having 10 seconds run off the clock or use a timeout.  They could be at the goal line with less than 10 seconds left in the half and no timeouts, the refs decide to review the play and it’s “Sorry the half/game is over”

That actually happened in a UCF game vs USF not that long ago, USF was driving for a tying TD at end of game and they reviewed something with less than 10 seconds. It might have been whether they got a 1st on 4th down but at the end of the day the review meant game was over either way.

[Ya Digg?]

36 minutes ago, BobbyC81 said:

How did they come up with that rule?  If you’re going backwards, you’re likely losing yards so let’s penalize you some more.

 

I noticed that other dumb rule again, where refs, NY or whoever decide to review a play in the last 2 minutes of a half.  When they’re done, the team with the ball gets penalized by either having 10 seconds run off the clock or use a timeout.  They could be at the goal line with less than 10 seconds left in the half and no timeouts, the refs decide to review the play and it’s “Sorry the half/game is over”

 

26 minutes ago, Orlando Tim said:

That actually happened in a UCF game vs USF not that long ago, USF was driving for a tying TD at end of game and they reviewed something with less than 10 seconds. It might have been whether they got a 1st on 4th down but at the end of the day the review meant game was over either way.

It happened to the Lions a couple of years ago too. Right at the goal line to win the game. If I remember correctly they even were stopped from spiking the ball to stop the clock. Instead replay happened, they did a 10 second run off but since it was under 10 seconds left the game ended 

[frostbitmic]

Seems like the Bills have to beat the other team and the Zebra's on a weekly basis. It's been that way since the beginning of the 50 year or so reign of the NFL's golden boy and it hasn't ended yet as evidenced by the first half of the Eagles game.

 

Against Murica's team,the Cowboys, Expect to get repeatedly hosed by the guys in stripes ... It's best for the league that way.

 

Go Bills beat the Cowboys ... Go Bills beat the refs.

[finn]

On 12/7/2023 at 8:33 AM, Scott7975 said:

Pretty good talk. Interesting hearing about head coaches discussing it and Jerry Jones take on it.  IMO officiating has always been bad but this year just seems egregiously worse than any other season I can remember.

 

 

The result of the game today was decided the moment the officiating crew was announced, just like in the Philly game. The NFL has found a formula to produce the result they want without risk to them: Pick crews that will favor one team over the other, then fine the hell of out of any coach or player who objects. Helps to have idiots like Reid and Mahomes complain loudly about legitimate calls. 

 

I'd say there's just one way the Bills can win, and that's if they absolutely blow Dallas out of the water. If the game is remotely competitive, the refs will ensure Dallas wins. 

 

[Dancing Fool]

9 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

Seems like the Bills have to beat the other team and the Zebra's on a weekly basis. It's been that way since the beginning of the 50 year or so reign of the NFL's golden boy and it hasn't ended yet as evidenced by the first half of the Eagles game.

 

Against Murica's team,the Cowboys, Expect to get repeatedly hosed by the guys in stripes ... It's best for the league that way.

 

Go Bills beat the Cowboys ... Go Bills beat the refs.

Do not forget that the Bills have been bet on heavily this week, it seems it would be very bad for Vegas if the Bills were to have a commanding win.

 

Here's hoping that after the game I look as foolish as my name implies for bringing such matters unrelated to the product on the field in to play. The match with Philly does not need to be one-upped.

*edit*

lol

Edited December 17, 2023 by Dancing Fool

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

On 12/4/2023 at 11:03 PM, BullBuchanan said:

If you follow fans of other teams, the narrative is that the Bills are a protected class by NFL referees. Refereeing is bad in general. It doesn't affect the Bills any worse than it does anyone else. We have gotten a ton of BS calls going in our favor like PIs and Roughing the Passer and getting away with a ton of holding.

That’s probably usually true but the eagles game was something else entirely lol I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that