Chris Godwin And Offensive Interference
September 13th, 2021
Joe hates to type the following, but Joe just doesn’t trust referees.
Joe is of the same mind as Bill Belicheat: All plays should be reviewable with the number of coaches’ challenges remaining the same.
Not reviewable was the big play that set up the Bucs’ winning field goal Thursday night, Chris Godwin’s 18-yard catch near the left sideline. The back-shoulder throw from Tom Brady looked as if Godwin could have been flagged for offensive interference.
Joe has seen less contact flagged and seen more contact ignored by referees in the past. Even NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth suggested it was a flip of the coin.
Patrik Walker of CBS Sports seems to think that flag or no flag, it was still likely Mr. Seven Rings would have gotten the Bucs in position to have kicker Ryan Succop win the game.
Turning point
There were several turning points in this game for both teams, but the one you’ll see argued this entire week (and maybe longer) is the following, when Godwin extends his arms to create space against Jourdan Lewis and reel in the catch that ultimately set up the game-winning kick by Succop. If this is called for offensive pass interference, the Buccaneers are backed up into Cowboys territory with a loss of downs and precious seconds burned off of the clock.
Would Brady have still found a way to make magic happen?
Quite possibly, but the world will never know, making this non-call the most pivotal point in helping (key word: helping) to decide the outcome. The Cowboys achieved the rest by waffling between great football and bad football.
Even if that play was reviewable, who knows what the zebras would have called? Besides, it sure looked to Joe in slow motion that Cowboys corner Jourdan Lewis was doing a bit of a flop to draw a penalty, which may have persuaded the zebras to keep their flags in their pants.
Should this have been OPI?
pic.twitter.com/fdDJ7shq6C— PFF (@PFF) September 10, 2021
September 13th, 2021 at 3:03 pm
The db had a hold of Godwins shirt
September 13th, 2021 at 3:08 pm
Go look at Vita get held on the third down that got cowboys into fg range. Goes both ways.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:10 pm
That’s the hardest throw to defend he was off balance regardless.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:13 pm
Pewter941- Exactly and this video didn’t show he was tangled up with Godwin for 2-3 steps before the video started. It’s as much Defensive as Offensive.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:16 pm
NFL players learned how to FLOP from LeBron James aka LeBum Shames. MJ is the GOAT
September 13th, 2021 at 3:16 pm
I guess one can see it as they wish. He never extended the arm and pushed. The DB was right on him and could have been called holding or possibly interference. I can see why the “no call”. It could have gone a couple different ways. But I still have a heck of a time really knowing what is Offensive holding and what isn’t.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:17 pm
Nobody would be talking about it if not for the talking heads. Both the WR and DB were halting there forward momentum. Godwin’s arm was doing what 100% of anyone do when halting and moving to the opposite direction. Sure it could be called because Refs blow calls all the time.
IMO
September 13th, 2021 at 3:19 pm
Db had a hold of Godwin’s jersey. Godwin did push off. The ref could of called offsetting fouls. But, he let them play. Good non-call by the ref.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:21 pm
Defender started contact both engaged no call
September 13th, 2021 at 3:27 pm
OPI calls are highly subjective, which is why officials try to interject something tangible like the “fully extended arms” which is sort of the standard. I think it was OPI. The Bucs won a game here, but be prepared to lose a game or two later based on borderline calls. Until they make all plays reviewable, this is just part of what defines the NFL.
Collinsworth was right, balance was a mitigating factor. But what I thought was an even greater mitigating factor in this situation was the “let ’em play it through” non-calls that we see towards the end of games. The “let ’em play it through” non-calls confuse both players and fans as to what should be called at the end of tight games.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:28 pm
Remember all of the bad calls/no calls that went against the Bucs against better teams (at the time), and fans of other teams saying “The good teams get the calls”? The Bucs are one of the good teams now, enjoy it while we can.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:30 pm
This is your.. yes…that is what it looked to me. There was definitely contact with the receiver. And it was more hand fighting, until the ball had been thrown, and Godwin responded to the throw. It was an inside shoulder throw, and that often comes back towards the defender unless he is on the outside shoulder. What was he supposed to do with his arm? It wasn’t like there was no contact, and that Godwin purposefully contacted with him and pushed off. At least the way I see it. But as I said, you could have called a penalty either way, if so inclined, as seems to be the norm.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:30 pm
They were both touching each other, but you can’t deduce that Godwin PUSHED the guy as the distance between them increased
September 13th, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Lets be honest….if that had happened to one of our defenders……we’d be all up in arms…..
Close call….went our way.
I will say this……it’s important we not test ourselves with close games too often.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:35 pm
Honestly there was PI on both. But the refs let them play.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:39 pm
there was no Push. if you look at video that goes back further into the play you will see that Godwin had his arm out from his body prior to contact and that Godwin never further extended his arm when the defender made contact with Godwin’s arm
September 13th, 2021 at 3:46 pm
Absolutely a flop, first thing I said once play was over. Kudos to refs for recognizing it. In an earlier post the discussion was about Brady’s arm strength and accuracy, yet no one mention the bullet he threw to Brown on 3 & 5 at end of first quarter that Brown dropped hit him right between the 8 & 1. I think Brown was surprised by the speed that came in, very rarely does Brown drop a pass that hits him between the numbers.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:46 pm
To get offensive interference they really have to just about do full arm extension in the NFL. He didn’t do that on this play, so a no call.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:48 pm
Have to agree TBBF…you never want to put yourself in a position with four turnovers and over 100 yards in penalties, and an anemic D, to have to score on the last series to win a game.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:48 pm
pffft …..the refs were trying to give the game to the cowgirls all night! ?
I don’t feel bad that was not called.
They guys was off balance as well. one of those that looked bad in still frame, but live it looked like a no call.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:49 pm
How about this, the push move that Godwin did, he learned it from Evans, who in turn learned it from Vincent Jackson.
Also the Bucs have lost countless games due to the refs BS, including being screwed out of a SB, so they’re going to have to go decades in our favor to even come close to evening out.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:54 pm
If you’re a football fan it should NOT be OPI.
There was contact on both sides. Let the players play.
Don’t turn the NFL into the NBA.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:56 pm
That’s a Lebron flop, got beat and then flopped. Also had the back of godwins jersey with his right hand.
September 13th, 2021 at 3:57 pm
Andrew is correct, the refs were not calling many of the blatant holding Dallas online was doing. So this little bit of whining falls on deaf ears. This crew of refs were not great by any means.
September 13th, 2021 at 4:06 pm
What surprises me most when I watch the review is that Godwin had a few feet of sidelines to make his way into the end zone and score a TD. Notice after the catch that he starts to turn up field and has his right foot clearly in bounds. It appears that there is enough room to get the left foot planted and get it into the end zone.
Both players were engaged and because that DB was backpedaling he was already falling over before Godwin got his hand on him.
September 13th, 2021 at 4:06 pm
How about a phantom face mask that gave a free 15 yards to the Cowgirls???
September 13th, 2021 at 4:18 pm
pewter941, i believe its called a jersey..lol
September 13th, 2021 at 4:26 pm
It was a good no call. The official was right there. They were not afraid of Brady or the Bucs they were calling penalties on them all night. If anything they would have called it on the Bucs as the usually do. They let them play.
September 13th, 2021 at 4:27 pm
Could have called it as offsetting penalties too if they really wanted to. And
the press did ask Lewis about this and he said it was a “toss up” and said he doesn’t blame the ref.
September 13th, 2021 at 4:36 pm
Rod Munch Says:
September 13th, 2021 at 3:49 pm
How about this, the push move that Godwin did, he learned it from Evans, who in turn learned it from Vincent Jackson.
Also the Bucs have lost countless games due to the refs BS, including being screwed out of a SB, so they’re going to have to go decades in our favor to even come close to evening out.
Don’t forget about the call that kept freeman and his squad out the playoffs against that weirdo Winslow 😂
September 13th, 2021 at 4:39 pm
Don’t care. We won.
September 13th, 2021 at 4:58 pm
Youngbucs – Yep, the complete BS call vs Winslow, offensive PI, that cost the Bucs the game and a spot in the playoffs, and that created a series of events that resulted in the Packers winning the SB (they don’t make the playoffs if the Bucs win that game), which meant a decade of those stupid Rodgers commercials.
Screw the refs, they own us 10,000 complete BS calls, and that’s only to break even.
September 13th, 2021 at 5:17 pm
Godwin definitely pushed off, but the defender had contact outside of five yards and tried his best Lebron James impression. Could’ve gone either way, and it went our way.
September 13th, 2021 at 5:23 pm
Youngbucs
Another interesting BS call if I remember correctly was a Saints game and Josh Freeman rolled out of the pocket and threw to Mike Williams (I think) for a game winner. But Mike Williams had been pushed OB by the defender before the catch and came back in bounds to grab it. The BS part is that the rule actually ALLOWED the receiver to catch it ONLY if the QB doesn’t leave the pocket? I’m having trouble remembering the exact details just that I was appalled that we lost that game because of that
September 13th, 2021 at 6:26 pm
I PERSONALLY SEEN THE COWGIRLS O-LINE HOLD JPP AND V.V. MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE GAME !! DAK SHOULD HAVE BEEN SACKED AT LEAST 5 TIMES AS THE SAME LEFT TACKLE THAT JUST GOT SUSPENDED 5 GAMES FOR TAKING P.E.D.s , HELD JPP AND THROW HIM TO THE GROUND ON A PLAY JPP BEAT HIM .. THEIR CORNERS HELD MIKE EVANS MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE GAME.. REMEMBER JERRY JONES SAID HE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET TO THE SUPER BOWL ? WELL PAYING OFF THE REF’S MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS
September 13th, 2021 at 6:51 pm
DJ82 ain’t no need to yell from the mountain top, we’re right here mayn
September 13th, 2021 at 7:01 pm
The db was tripping over his own two feet, had momentum going with him, and was holding Godwin which caused him to cross up his previously mentioned own two feet. He was so far out of balance my 5 year old daughter could have inadvertently knocked him over. Good no call by the refs
September 13th, 2021 at 7:13 pm
It looks like a pushoff in real time, it also looks like the guy is flopping when you replay it.
Pre-TB, they’d have NEVER gotten that call. Even in the first SB years they always got hosed on calls. Part of Brady’s $25m contract is paying for the refs not to screw us – and maybe even get a call (or non-call).
Either way, I don’t care. We got the W, and I don’t care if that’s from the refs getting some money Venmo’d to them, or sending over the cheerleaders the night before the game to wear out the opponents. I do not care. I, as a fan, just want wins. Period.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:21 pm
I would only care if the call went against us. Haha
September 13th, 2021 at 8:25 pm
If it was a bad call the defender and coach would have made a scene. They didn’t. Good no call
September 13th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
I’ve always said as long as you have timeouts to lose if you’re unsuccessful, you should be able to challenge.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:13 pm
Slight push but dude also flopped. Coulda went either way really. But we had our fair share of bad calls all night so whatever.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:33 pm
It really could have gone either way but it should not have been called. Whenever the defender and receiver are hand checking each other all the way down field, I don’t think they should call some thing unless it’s blatant.
That was a weak little push and the defender flopped to try selling it. It was a good no call
September 13th, 2021 at 11:36 pm
Having the referees somewhere in a booth correcting calls on the fly… I’ve been screaming about this for years. It’s about time!!!!
It was ridiculous when the whole country can see in two seconds what should have been called but they wouldn’t call it on the field until there was a challenge and then looked at from 72 angles.
It’s about getting the call right, not coaches challenges and losing timeouts etc. Garbage
September 14th, 2021 at 1:48 am
During game thought he extended, but watching it now… His elbow is actually still bent 45 degrees or so… Doesn’t look like a full extension
September 14th, 2021 at 2:54 am
NOT opi.. always seems like incidental contact to me since DBs are grabbing all the time. Opi that is obvious with both arms … ok.. but the thing I hate is a great play getting cancelled. Hold onto the Hankies .. they can ruin football games. !.
September 14th, 2021 at 7:53 am
Just another tidbit the sports writers escalate to create doubt. Nothing to see here except DB’s impersonation of a fish.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Cowboys DB had both hands grasping Godwin’s jersey. Did he flop? No. Did he try to hold? Yep. No penalty. Two players fighting for the ball. Which happened first? Defensive holding/DPI.