Hawks vs Hams (or Lambs) game thread

[Michael K.]

I can not freaking believe we won this game. We probably should've known it was pre-ordained we would win on that freak 2-point conversion.

So where does this rank on the "I can't believe we won this game" list? Maybe #2 after the NFC Championship Game against the Puckers?

The fact that the ball took a 90 degree right turn after hitting the Rams Defender in the helmet and then Zach nonchalantly and unwittingly bending down and picking up the ball 6 inches into the endzone had to be Divine Intervention from the Football Gods. Team of Destiny!

We benefited by Charbo being a nice guy. All he was doing was picking the ball up to give to the ref!

[XpertDBA]

I wonder how it would have been called if the ball ended up at the half yard line and Charb flipped it to the official

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Since the ref(s) blew the whistle after the ball hit the ground wasn't it a dead ball at that point?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

So if a ref had picked up the ball first then what is the call?

[Captain 97]

So if a ref had picked up the ball first then what is the call?

If a ref picked up the ball there would have been no clear recovery so the play would end without a conversion.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Shouldn't it be considered like a fumble out of bounds with possession going to the last team that had control of the ball? In which case it would be like a forward fumble that went out of bounds in the endzone wouldn't it?

[DavidGee24]

Shouldn't it be considered like a fumble out of bounds with possession going to the last team that had control of the ball? In which case it would be like a forward fumble that went out of bounds in the endzone wouldn't it?

That's only if the ballcarrier fumbles the ball forward. In the case the defender knocked if forward.

[DavidGee24]

I can not freaking believe we won this game. We probably should've known it was pre-ordained we would win on that freak 2-point conversion.

So where does this rank on the "I can't believe we won this game" list? Maybe #2 after the NFC Championship Game against the Puckers?

The fact that the ball took a 90 degree right turn after hitting the Rams Defender in the helmet and then Zach nonchalantly and unwittingly bending down and picking up the ball 6 inches into the endzone had to be Divine Intervention from the Football Gods. Team of Destiny!

The flukiest loss in Hawk history was the blown 17 point 4th quarter lead in Baltimore in 2003. So many crazy things happened to make that possible, foremost a 4th and 28 pass from their backup QB that miraculously stuck in the receiver's armpit 44 yards downfield. I'd say last night's bounce finally is our makeup oh-that's-just-bullshit-right-there play.

[Captain 97]

From what I have been reading, a backwards pass that hits the ground is technically not considered a fumble but is its own unique incidence which has its own set of rules that are slightly different than a fumble.

"If a fumble by either team occurs after the two minute warning or during a Try: (a) The ball may be advanced by any opponent. (b) The player who fumbled is the only player of his team who is permitted to recover and advance the ball. (c) If the recovery or catch is by a teammate of the player who fumbled, the ball is dead, and the spot of the next snap is the spot of the fumble, or the spot of the recovery if the spot of the recovery is behind the spot of the fumble."

Based on how that's written, Stafford's understanding of the rule is that Darnold fumbled it and since a fumble can't be advanced by anyone besides the fumbling player, the two-pointer shouldn't have counted since Darnold wasn't the one who recovered the ball in the end zone. However, this is where the rulebook loophole comes in.

If the ball ends up on the ground due to a backward pass, there are different rules in place. Once again, let's go to the NFL rulebook:

"BACKWARD PASS: A runner may throw a backward pass at any time (3-21-4). Players of either team may advance after catching a backward pass, or recovering a backward pass after it touches the ground. Any snap from center is a backward pass."

As the rule notes, a player from "either team" can recover a backward pass even after it touches the ground, so this play isn't officiated the same way as a fumble. The twist here is that if a Rams' pass-rusher had just brushed against Darnold's arm as he was throwing the ball, the play could have been ruled a fumble and in that case, the recovery wouldn't have counted. However, the replay clearly showed that Darnold wasn't touched while throwing the backward pass, so the rule regarding a backward pass were in effect and Charbonnet's recovery was legal.

In general, only scoring plays and turnovers are supposed to be automatically reviewed, but two-point conversions can also be reviewed by the booth without a challenge being used. The replay assistant also has the power to initiate a review to check "whether a pass was forward or backward."

Let's go back to the rulebook:

"When an on-field ruling is incomplete, and the pass was clearly backward, the ball will be awarded at the spot of recovery to the team that recovers the ball in the immediate continuing action. If there is no clear recovery, the ball will be awarded to the team last in possession at the spot where possession was lost."

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how- ... -football/

[Michael K.]

I can not freaking believe we won this game. We probably should've known it was pre-ordained we would win on that freak 2-point conversion.

So where does this rank on the "I can't believe we won this game" list? Maybe #2 after the NFC Championship Game against the Puckers?

The fact that the ball took a 90 degree right turn after hitting the Rams Defender in the helmet and then Zach nonchalantly and unwittingly bending down and picking up the ball 6 inches into the endzone had to be Divine Intervention from the Football Gods. Team of Destiny!

The flukiest loss in Hawk history was the blown 17 point 4th quarter lead in Baltimore in 2003. So many crazy things happened to make that possible, foremost a 4th and 28 pass from their backup QB that miraculously stuck in the receiver's armpit 44 yards downfield. I'd say last night's bounce finally is our makeup oh-that's-just-bullshit-right-there play.

Vinnie's helmet crossing the goal line is another one. Didn't Derrick Mason catch a TD in that Raven game where he CLEARLY had one foot in, but they ruled it a TD?