National Football League

Mike Pereira's Nov. 16 mailbag

Published Nov. 16, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Hi everyone, here are a few more Mailbag questions this week and I’m happy to answer them. (Read the latest chat recap here).

Michael from Portland, Ore. wrote:

"Mike, I'm a football fan who watches every game he can during the season. While there have ALWAYS been questionable calls by officials, this year it seems that there are way too many bad calls. Phantom holding or PI penalties, down by contact not ruled correctly, fumbles not ruled fumbles and vice-versa, etc. I could go on and on.
Does it appear to you that the quality of officiating in the NFL is getting worse? They did have the "league wide conference call" earlier this year in which they were basically told to "Get it together", but it does not seem to have helped. What is going on and why?"

Mike, I will admit it has been a tough start. I have been through this and it is never easy to right the ship.

The whole officiating department is going through a transition as new leadership has taken over. Things are getting done differently now and it may have taken some time to adjust. New vice president of officiating Carl Johnson is a good man. He and his staff will get things together.

Daniel B. from Poway, Calif. wrote:

"As a Chargers fan, I wasn't surprised to see that Denver once again had difficulty with its instant replay system at a time where in conveniently benefited them. This happened to the Chargers in the infamous "Hochuli game", and happened again yesterday against K.C.

Has this happened at other stadiums? Has it happened more than the two times I am aware of at Invesco Field? Is the NFL going to reprimand the Bronco organization for this?"

Hi, Daniel. This does happen periodically and not in any one place. The equipment didn't fail in the "Hochuli" game. The equipment worked fine. It was the rule that wouldn't allow Ed to award the ball to the Chargers. Based on his ruling of an incomplete pass, the ball was dead when it hit the ground. After the season, the rule was changed to make this reviewable.

By the way, the NFL owns and operates the equipment. All replay personnel are hired and paid by the league. No conspiracy theories here.

Andy C. from Eau Claire, Wis. wrote:

"Hi, Mike. Can defensive teams on a field goal try have a player or players leap up by the goal posts/crossbar and knock down the field goal try? It seems that many players have the ability to jump up that high, as we see many players dunk the ball over the goalposts after a touchdown. Anything illegal about that strategy?"

A player can't do that, Andy. It is actually a foul for goaltending. That's right, goaltending. If a defender leaps up and bats the ball keeping it from going over the cross bar, the kicking team may accept a field goal or take a 15 yard penalty from the line of scrimmage with an automatic first down.

Robert F. from Glen Burnie, Md. wrote:

"There were a number of controversial calls at the end of the Ravens-Falcons game that essentially decided that game, but one earlier call puzzled me. On one Falcons' scoring drive, the replay showed an offensive lineman clinging to Terrell Suggs's facemask as Suggs tried to rush the quarterback, but the facemask penalty wasn't called on the lineman, it was called on Suggs.

I'm sure Suggs did something that the referee saw and I did not, but why wouldn't both players be penalized?"

Robert: It looked to be fouls on both players and should have been offsetting fouls. Sometimes it is tough to see both as you get focused on one and miss the other.