Poor Dallas Cowboys - They Never Saw It Coming!

[Penn]

Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos - Recap - October 04, 2009 - ESPN



DENVER -- Champ Bailey figured the last play was his to make.

Why not? Tony Romo had been testing him all afternoon, even though he kept acing every exam.

His biggest play came with a second left when he knocked away the potential tying touchdown pass from Romo to Sam Hurd on fourth-and-goal from the 2.


With the blitz coming, Romo quickly fired toward Hurd cutting across the middle. Bailey reached around and swatted the pass away with his left hand at the last second, giving the Broncos their first 4-0 start since 2003.


I'll bet Jerry Jones wasn't none too happy, watching those series of plays!

 

[Peter Forsberg]

Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos - Recap - October 04, 2009 - ESPN



DENVER -- Champ Bailey figured the last play was his to make.

Why not? Tony Romo had been testing him all afternoon, even though he kept acing every exam.

His biggest play came with a second left when he knocked away the potential tying touchdown pass from Romo to Sam Hurd on fourth-and-goal from the 2.


With the blitz coming, Romo quickly fired toward Hurd cutting across the middle. Bailey reached around and swatted the pass away with his left hand at the last second, giving the Broncos their first 4-0 start since 2003.


I'll bet Jerry Jones wasn't none too happy, watching those series of plays!

But they got a nice stadium.

 

[BuddyLee]

Four times to simply punch it in with those running backs and nil. Instead they throw to one of the best cornerbacks in the game, twice back-to-back.

 

[Penn]

But they got a nice stadium.

Yep, and Jerry got them those nice, BIG screen displays, so everyone in the stadium got a good look at the replays!

 

[Beta84]

Four times to simply punch it in with those running backs and nil. Instead they throw to one of the best cornerbacks in the game, twice back-to-back.

Only an idiot like Tony Romo would do something like that. Any good QB would know which CBs to target...Romo doesn't understand the game well enough.

 

[Tilted]

What I don't understand, is what happened when Dallas got its last first down just inside the ten with 20 something seconds left. Can someone explain to me why the referee signaled for the clock to keep winding?

Best I could tell, the receiver caught the ball and either stepped out of bounds or was pushed out of bounds - he definitely wasn't taken to the ground or wrapped up to where the play would have been whistled dead. So, why would the clock keep running? Dallas had to spend its last timeout, which limited its options. After the next play, they spiked the ball to stop the clock. If they still had the timeout, they would have been able to take it and save the down (in which case they would have gotten one more shot at the end) - or they could have saved it so that they could try to run the ball in on third down.

What surprised me even more is that the announcers didn't comment on it. So, did someone see something that I didn't - because it sure seemed like the clock should have stopped after that last first down?

 

[Otter]

What I don't understand, is what happened when Dallas got its last first down just inside the ten with 20 something seconds left. Can someone explain to me why the referee signaled for the clock to keep winding?

Best I could tell, the receiver caught the ball and either stepped out of bounds or was pushed out of bounds - he definitely wasn't taken to the ground or wrapped up to where the play would have been whistled dead. So, why would the clock keep running? Dallas had to spend its last timeout, which limited its options. After the next play, they spiked the ball to stop the clock. If they still had the timeout, they would have been able to take it and save the down (in which case they would have gotten one more shot at the end) - or they could have saved it so that they could try to run the ball in on third down.

What surprised me even more is that the announcers didn't comment on it. So, did someone see something that I didn't - because it sure seemed like the clock should have stopped after that last first down?

I am glad you saw that, I had the same question and the announcers didn't say a damn thing...

 

[Beta84]

What I don't understand, is what happened when Dallas got its last first down just inside the ten with 20 something seconds left. Can someone explain to me why the referee signaled for the clock to keep winding?

Best I could tell, the receiver caught the ball and either stepped out of bounds or was pushed out of bounds - he definitely wasn't taken to the ground or wrapped up to where the play would have been whistled dead. So, why would the clock keep running? Dallas had to spend its last timeout, which limited its options. After the next play, they spiked the ball to stop the clock. If they still had the timeout, they would have been able to take it and save the down (in which case they would have gotten one more shot at the end) - or they could have saved it so that they could try to run the ball in on third down.

What surprised me even more is that the announcers didn't comment on it. So, did someone see something that I didn't - because it sure seemed like the clock should have stopped after that last first down?

I didn't see the play in question, so I can only speculate. If the runner's forward progress was stopped, and then he was pushed out of bounds, the clock would continue. Sometimes they'll get held up and then pushed out, or maybe pushed backward a little before getting shoved out of bounds. In both cases, his forward progress is stopped and they won't stop the clock. It typically stops if he's pushed out while going forward, or if he goes out on his own.

Did anything similar to this happen?

 

[Tilted]

I didn't see the play in question, so I can only speculate. If the runner's forward progress was stopped, and then he was pushed out of bounds, the clock would continue. Sometimes they'll get held up and then pushed out, or maybe pushed backward a little before getting shoved out of bounds. In both cases, his forward progress is stopped and they won't stop the clock. It typically stops if he's pushed out while going forward, or if he goes out on his own.

Did anything similar to this happen?

No, he might have even been stepping toward the sideline as he caught it and just kinda took one more step out, or got a little push out. He definitely didn't get held up. I just checked the ESPN play-by-play recap and it even says he was pushed out of bounds.

I am glad you saw that, I had the same question and the announcers didn't say a damn thing...

Good - at least I know I'm not crazy. I think the official just made the wrong signal and Romo wasn't aware enough to realize what was going on, so he called a time out. If he had been a little more aware, he would have pointed out to the officials that the clock should have stopped, and it would have been obvious to them that there was a mistake. Once he called the timeout, it didn't matter to fix the mistake. The Cowboys kinda got screwed, but Romo could have avoided that if he had had a little more presence of mind.

 

[Otter]

Good - at least I know I'm not crazy. I think the official just made the wrong signal and Romo wasn't aware enough to realize what was going on, so he called a time out. If he had been a little more aware, he would have pointed out to the officials that the clock should have stopped, and it would have been obvious to them that there was a mistake. Once he called the timeout, it didn't matter to fix the mistake. The Cowboys kinda got screwed, but Romo could have avoided that if he had had a little more presence of mind.

Romo AND Wade Phillips should have been screaming..I never saw it discussed on any shows afterwards..Was kinda shocked that it flew over the announcers heads too.

 

[Tilted]

Romo AND Wade Phillips should have been screaming..I never saw it discussed on any shows afterwards..Was kinda shocked that it flew over the announcers heads too.

I agree - I couldn't understand why none of the Cowboys were screaming about it. Like I said, maybe it happened too quick and after the timeout was called it just didn't matter. At first, I was thinking maybe I had missed something - but I'm pretty sure I saw what I saw. Gonna try to catch it on the NFL Network replay.

 

[Otter]

I agree - I couldn't understand why none of the Cowboys were screaming about it. Like I said, maybe it happened too quick and after the timeout was called it just didn't matter. At first, I was thinking maybe I had missed something - but I'm pretty sure I saw what I saw. Gonna try to catch it on the NFL Network replay.

No doubt in my mind that the Ref had a brain cramp. The guy caught the ball 3 yards inbounds, was tapped by the DB and stepped out of bounds.

 

[BuddyLee]

The reason the clock wasn't stopped was because the play resulted in a first down. You must take the first down in this case, no choice.

It was 2nd and 3 on the Denver 13 with :35 seconds. Romo was in the shotgun and threw to Sam Hurd for a 5 yard gain. Even though he was pushed out of bounds his forward progress moved the chains and kept the clock moving. Romo knew this and quickly spiked the ball. The announcers knew this, which is why they didn't mention it.

NFL Game Center: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos - 2009 Week 4

That is the only exception I can find. Other than that, in the final two minutes of the first half and the final five minutes of the second half the clock is stopped if you step out of bounds.

 

[Tilted]

The reason the clock wasn't stopped was because the play resulted in a first down. You must take the first down in this case, no choice.

It was 2nd and 3 on the Denver 13 with :35 seconds. Romo was in the shotgun and threw to Sam Hurd for a 5 yard gain. Even though he was pushed out of bounds his forward progress moved the chains and kept the clock moving. Romo knew this and quickly spiked the ball. The announcers knew this, which is why they didn't mention it.

NFL Game Center: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos - 2009 Week 4

That is the only exception I can find. Other than that, in the final two minutes of the first half and the final five minutes of the second half the clock is stopped if you step out of bounds.

Are you saying that when he stepped out of bounds he stepped back short of the first down? So, then he gets the first down for forward progress, but doesn't get the the clock stoppage for going out of bounds?

I guess that is possible, but it didn't seem to me that he stepped far enough back to have been short of the first down. I'll have to try to catch the replay to have a closer look. It seemed to me that he had a first down even where he stepped out.

Oh - and Romo just called the timeout. It was after the next play that he spiked the ball.

 

[Otter]

The reason the clock wasn't stopped was because the play resulted in a first down. You must take the first down in this case, no choice.

It was 2nd and 3 on the Denver 13 with :35 seconds. Romo was in the shotgun and threw to Sam Hurd for a 5 yard gain. Even though he was pushed out of bounds his forward progress moved the chains and kept the clock moving. Romo knew this and quickly spiked the ball. The announcers knew this, which is why they didn't mention it.

NFL Game Center: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos - 2009 Week 4

That is the only exception I can find. Other than that, in the final two minutes of the first half and the final five minutes of the second half the clock is stopped if you step out of bounds.

I don't know where you got that explanation, but I've seen too many guys get first downs and then run out of bounds..and thats what Hurd did, and where he went out of bounds, it was still a first down..and I don't find your explanation credible with you saying Romo knew...what does he know? nada..

 

[BuddyLee]

I don't know where you got that explanation, but I've seen too many guys get first downs and then run out of bounds..and thats what Hurd did, and where he went out of bounds, it was still a first down..and I don't find your explanation credible with you saying Romo knew...what does he know? nada..

That's the only explanation I can come up with after reading a few NFL rule websites.

True, Romo knows nothing.

 

[BuddyLee]

Are you saying that when he stepped out of bounds he stepped back short of the first down? So, then he gets the first down for forward progress, but doesn't get the the clock stoppage for going out of bounds?

I guess that is possible, but it didn't seem to me that he stepped far enough back to have been short of the first down. I'll have to try to catch the replay to have a closer look. It seemed to me that he had a first down even where he stepped out.

Oh - and Romo just called the timeout. It was after the next play that he spiked the ball.

No. It was 2nd and 3. The play that Hurd was pushed out of bounds on gave the Cowboys a first down, a gain of 5 yards. If I'm reading the rules correctly, if he obtains the first down and the judge decides it's forwards progress then the clock continues to move.

 

[struggler44]

I'm thinking because his forward progress stopped inbounds and when the DB hit him he stepped out. Think they implemented this rule to keep the clock running to speed the game up.

 

[Tilted]

No. It was 2nd and 3. The play that Hurd was pushed out of bounds on gave the Cowboys a first down, a gain of 5 yards. If I'm reading the rules correctly, if he obtains the first down and the judge decides it's forwards progress then the clock continues to move.

I know they got a first down on the play. So anytime you catch a ball for a first down and then go out of bounds, the clock keeps running? That's not right - I've seen tons of catches for a first down where the player ends up going out of bounds and the clock stops. It would have to be like I said, only if you step backwards when you go out of bounds - where you needed credit for the forward progress to have the first down.

EDIT: You're saying that if the forward progress is stopped - not just if you get the first down? Even still, I'm not seeing it on that play - he was heading to the sideline as he caught the ball and just continued out of bounds. It's not like he caught the ball and was stopped and then went out of bounds. So, if what you are saying is correct, then if a player is running straight across the field and catches the ball and then keeps running straight across and out of bounds, the clock wouldn't stop. That doesn't make any sense - I hope that's not the rule.

 

[BuddyLee]

I'm thinking because his forward progress stopped inbounds and when the DB hit him he stepped out. Think they implemented this rule to keep the clock running to speed the game up.

I was about to post this. This was implemented about two years ago.