NFL Officials Hardly on the Ball in Packers Game

Monday meanderings: Now that the Chicago baseball season is over (OK, so the Cubs and White Sox each have three games left, but it’s merely a formality), we can focus on football. Which is what your humble correspondent was doing Sunday (Sept. 30) during a birthday party for a 7-year-old. The Green Bay Packers were playing the New Orleans Saints and could be seen on a nearby television screen.

Jaime Edmondson always is welcome around here.

The Packers would win 28-27 — but only after a Saints fumble late in the game that was recovered by the Packers was ruled to be the Saints’ ball. Which goes to show the regular NFL officials can be just about as bad as the replacement ones were in Monday night’s game that cost the Packers a victory at Seattle on a play that the NFL later apologized for getting wrong. As the game played out, the Saints missed a go-ahead field goal, and the Packers ran out the clock.

Still one (or at least this one typing today’s effort) has to wonder when the NFL will do a better job of making sure calls are correct. The Packers had no challenges left, so the fumble/non-fumble play was not reviewed. Would it be so difficult to make all plays that affect possession of the ball (which this play did) subject to review? Even if there is not a change of possession, as was ruled the case on this play.

“This is a blown call,” Fox television play-by-play broadcaster Joe Buck said. “If the honeymoon wasn’t over early in the first half, it is dead now for the regular officials, especially here in Green Bay. They’ve had enough.”

“You guys were all happy that the officials were back, and we tried to tell you that they’d still get booed,” Packers receiver Jordy Nelson said with a laugh.

Yes, the Packers had the last laugh — this time. But there is little funny about bad calls. Given the importance of maintaining the integrity of the game (for betting purposes, if nothing else), commissioner Roger Goodell and his competition committee — or whoever oversees these things — ought to do the right thing and make sure the officials make the right calls. Especially everyone with a television can see. Even those of us at a birthday party.

Oh, and happy birthday, Will.

* The Cubs need to sweep the worst team in baseball, the Houston Astros, in their series at Wrigley Field to avoid 100 losses this season. To show you how bad things are for the Cubs, they will fall short of drawing 3 million in home attendance.

* Welcome to October baseball, which once upon a time meant great baseball and the World Series. Nowadays it’s merely an indication the regular season last a bit too long. Now that September has ended, I suppose the Cubs and Sox can wake up — in time for the offseason:

Jaime Edmondson, the Playboy Playmate and football forecaster, went 9-4 in her NFL picks on Sunday. She already had nailed the Thursday night game. Meaning, if the statistical analysis department is correct (which always can be problematical), she has 10-4 heading into Monday night’s Bears-Cowboys contest.

Jaime Edmondson correctly predicted the Vikings beating the Lions.

Some information regarding the Bears-Cowboys contest courtesy of the Bears public-relation department:

* The Bears are 7-2 (.778) on Monday Night Football under coach Lovie Smith. The only other time the Bears and Dallas met on MNF was Sept, 2, 1996, when the Bears won 22-6. Dallas leads the all-time series 13-9.

* With a start Monday night, linebacker Brian Urlacher will tie Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary for third-most in Bears history. The all-time team leader is Walter Payton (184) with Olin Kreutz (183) No. 2.

* New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 28-27 loss at Green Bay. Brees has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Johhny Unitas (1956-60) for the longest streak in NFL history. Unitas’ mark of 47 consecutive games with a TD pass stood alone for 18,291 days.

* New England quarterback Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ 52-28 victory at Buffalo. Brady has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 36 consecutive games, tied with Brett Favre (2002-04) for the third-longest streak in NFL history.

* The Patriots became the second team in NFL history with a 300-yard passer (Brady, 340 yards), two 100-yard rushers (Brandon Bolden, 137 and Steven Ridley, 106) and two 100-yard receivers (Wes Welker, 129 and Rob Gronkowski, 104) in the team’s victory at Buffalo. The only other team to accomplish the feat was the 2008 Packers (December 28).

* The Patriots, who trailed 14-7 at halftime, scored 45 second-half points. New England is the first team since the 1950 New York Giants (48 points) to score at least 45 second-half points in a game in which it trailed at halftime.

* The Minnesota Vikings had a kickoff-return touchdown (Percy Harvin, 105 yards) and a punt-return touchdown (Marcus Sherels, 77) in the Vikings’ 20-13 victory at Detroit. Minnesota is the first team in NFL history to record both a kickoff-return touchdown and a punt-return touchdown in a game three times.

Harvin, who is in his fourth NFL season, has five career kickoff-return touchdowns. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers (six) has more kickoff-return touchdowns in a player’s first four seasons.

* The Arizona Cardinals recorded the franchise’s 500th regular-season victory with a 24-21 overtime triumph over Miami. The Cardinals are the ninth team in NFL history with 500 regular-season victories. The game also marked the first time since 1999 (September 12) that the Cardinals overcame a halftime deficit of at least 13 points to win.

* Arizona has won 11 of its last 13 games and has started 4-0 for the first time since 1974. The Cardinals are the 11th team in the last nine years to start a season 4-0 after beginning 1-3 or 0-4 in the previous year. Nine of the 10 previous advanced to the postseason.

* Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan passed for 369 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons’ 30-28 victory over Carolina. Ryan is 14-0 in his career (3-0 in 2012) when he throws at least three touchdowns in a game. Only Daryle Lamonica (19-0) has a better record in games with at least three touchdown passes. Ryan, who posted a 107.2 passer rating, is 27-0 in his career (4-0 in 2012) in games with a 100.0+ rating.

* San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers passed for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers’ 37-20 victory at Kansas City. Rivers reached 25,000 (25,182) passing yards in his 104th career game. Only six players in NFL history reached the milestone in fewer games.

* St. Louis rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein converted all four field-goal attempts (58, 48, 60, 24 yards) in the Rams’ 19-13 victory over Seattle. Zuerlein is the first kicker in NFL history to convert a 60-yard field goal and a 50-yard field goal in the same game.

A little random bikini video. Always room for that:

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