The non-challenge...

[mecadonzilla]

I watched the NFL Network replay of the Dolphins/Vikes extravaganza yesterday, and I got all pissed off again at one particular moment...

Remember, late in the 4th where the Vikings were going for it on 4th down and the Dolphins stuffed the Vikings fullback for a clear loss?...and yet the refs gave him a very generous first down spot.

I had almost forgotten that call in all the hullabaloo of winning the game Sunday.  Why did Sporano not challenge the call?  It wasn't even close.  Tahi had lost yardage.  He didn't even gain the original line of scrimmage!  Why was it just accepted?  It wasn't in the final 2 minutes so the coach had every right to challenge the call.  The call was horrible...Dierdorf even said so!  And if Dierdorf notices it, it's pretty freaking simple!  

The game went on, Miami won, and the call ended up being a non-factor.  But if AP had scored on 4th down in the endzone for the win, you bet your life we'd all be crying about it this week.  I'm still scratching my head wondering why the call wasn't challenged?  It's a potential game changing play and you've got time outs to spare...challenge it if you have a pair!  This lack of game management makes me question him on this angle.  I'll be watching this more closely as the season unfolds.

[MikeO]

because the odds of winning that call are slim.

And you don't want to risk blowing a timeout or a challenge on it.

[Dave Gray]

If it's the call I'm thinking of, I don't think there was enough visual evidence to overturn that call.  Ball spotting is hard to overturn, because you have to see the ball the whole time, to ensure that forward progress didn't cause the first down.  It's one of those things where even though everyone knows the ball probably didn't go past the line when view was obscured, we can't know for sure.

[mecadonzilla]

Most of the time I can see that a spot call is difficult.

This one wasn't.  The refs blew the call on the field by about a yard.  Tahi didn't even look like he gained the original line of scrimmage, much less gain anything extra.

I don't remember if Favre came out and did a hurry up after the call (he was doing that a lot in the 4th).  I could see where Sporano wouldn't have time to make the challenge in that case.

[Phishfan]

I don't remember it being as clear as you say it was. I did think we stopped him, but I don't think there was clear evidence to overturn the call. I agree I thought he was stopped, but you can't see inside that pile he went into.

[Doc-phin]

In that situation it was important to conserve a timeout unless there was no question.  Unfortunately, the camera angles were not great.  I think there was enough to see that he didn't get the first down but when you throw in things like "indisputable" evidence, there is always doubt.  Plus, the play before it really looked like it should have been a first down and it seems to me that refs try to make up for bad calls with bad calls.

[Pappy13]

Sparano was asked this in the post-game interview and he said they were thinking about challenging but they weren't sure there was enough evidence to overturn it and didn't want to risk losing a timeout which may have become ultra important.  I think they only had 1 left at the time.

[MikeO]

Sparano was asked this in the post-game interview and he said they were thinking about challenging but they weren't sure there was enough evidence to overturn it and didn't want to risk losing a timeout which may have become ultra important.  I think they only had 1 left at the time.

yeah and I think Sparano made the right call. There needs to be conclusive evidence to overturn the call and on a play like that nothing is conclusive. It's a HIGH risk challenge that I never see coaches win when they try it.