NFL Wild Card Play Stunk Far Worse Than Stinking Refs

WSJ’s Jason Gay didn’t think the NFL play-off slaughter-fest built on putrid “wild card” play &/or officiating could get any worse … then, the Cardinal’s QB desperately flipped a ball 6 feet for all MNF to see, but instead of avoiding an LA safety he deftly turned it into a pick 6.

If the play-off scores to date weren’t outright blow outs, the losers & their fans often set up the “sh****” refs to kick for their loss. The Raiders, for instance, lost 26-19, thanks in part to a first-half inadvertent whistle that perhaps should have nullified Bengals QB Jeff Burrow’s 10-yard TD. Of course, even if the ball was returned to original red zone spot & the down replayed, the Bengals might have scored a difference-making TD if not a field goal anyway. Yet, most post-game talk focused on that earlier rule interpretation, not the game ending interception.

But, maybe the whiners’ trophy should go to Cowboys QB Dak Prescott & Head Coach Mike McCarthy, who insisted after their 23-17 loss to the 49ers that the refs blew the spotting of the ball after Dak’s unexpected run up the middle with 14 seconds but no time outs left. Not that the ref didn’t TRY to spot the ball as the last 8 seconds ticked off, but we’re told it was somehow HIS fault the Cowboys dallied in handing him the ball to spot, then, their big butts got in the way while Dak collided with him to boot, so even a Baryshnikov couldn’t have gotten to where the ball needed to be spotted as time ran out. Coach Mike noted his team (that btw had been penalized a record 14 times) had practiced all season long the bizarre last seconds play he apparently called: “QB run-then line up-then spike-then throw 24-yard TD pass to win the game.” Remarkably, no sports pundit has asked coach “WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU PRACTICE ALL YEAR SUCH A COMPLICATED, TIME-CONSUMING LAST SECOND PLAY TO WIN A GAME?”

Davd Soul