Monday Night Mystery

Tonight's MNF game ended in controversy like never before.  Was it a TD or interception?  From my basement luxury box I thought it was simultaneous (after offensive P.I.) but heard Steve Young say after the game it was a clear INT.  I'll defer to him since he was 10 feet from the play.  The bottom line is that call was one of many botched calls again in one prime-time game.  All of America is seeing how ridiculous it is to be playing pro football without pro-fessional officials.  You can't duplicate the experience NFL officials have.  Jerry Austin, a former referee, was wearing the white hat alone for 27 years.  Maybe as fans we're crazy to even expect anything but pandemonium.  Now it's up to the NFL to get a deal done with the real refs.  But, it's gonna cost the NFL a lot more money than it would have before the regular season.  So it may not happen quite as soon as we would all like.  And if it doesn't there may be some backlash from some owners.  You have to know the coaches and gm's are in the owners ear about the replacements and consequently the owners are in Roger Goodell's ear. 

What's all lost in the referee mix up is how ugly the Packers are playing.  A very far cry from last season's record setting offensive juggernaut.  Rodgers had no time to throw and yet more passes kept being called until after halftime.  Big mistake!  And the last play?  Jennings, the DB, should've knocked the ball down.  That's the rule in that situation, that's what you're coached to do, period.  Complete lack of execution there.  Now on a short week they travel home to play the winless Saints.  Who would've predicted that scenario.  New Orleans is either going to be sitting at 0-4 or both teams at 1-3.  For all you people that Rodgers has completely disappointed fantasy wise don't sit him this week.  He will absolutely have at least 3 TDs in the game and Brees won't be far behind. 

Finkbeiner basement luxury box

The Hawks didn't look great either tonight, at least on offense.  Wilson is a nice addition but I'm sorry he was no better than Tim Tebow tonight.  You can see the poise he possesses which is very impressive for a rookie though.  Seattle could easily be 3-0 but they will have to score eventually and I don't see them just grounding and pounding effectively over the course of a 16 game season.  Defensively they no doubt are tough.  Not too much to dissect there.  The secondary is very good and that's why the front 4 is able to put pressure on the QB.  Teams will have to run the ball vs Seattle to open up some passing lanes.  In a wide open NFC west the Hawks do have a legit shot.  SF looked horrible yesterday and Arizona still has plenty of weaknesses like a non-existent run game and QB inconsistency.

At the end of the day the NFL needs to get their pro-fessional officials back out there.  And if GB or Seattle wants to make the playoffs they will both need to play much better offensively.  In the meantime let's just expect bad calls all around and enjoy the Belichick pushes, Fox tirades, and Jim Harbaugh doing what he would no matter who was officiating.

Kieth