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  4. title => "Former NFL ref explains why Eagles were robbed on opening kickoff"
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  6. article_body => "<p>The Eagles were rightly upset Sunday night about the opening kickoff in their 29-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&amp;T Stadium.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kamu Grugier-Hill called it \u201cridiculous\u201d and Malcolm Jenkins said the folks making the call at the command center should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-robbed-ridiculous-call-opening-kickoff-vs-cowboys-malcolm-jenkins-rips-call\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cstay off the bottle.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>NBC Sports Football Rule Analyst Terry McAulay was a guest on Philly Sports Talk tonight so I got to ask him a pretty important question about this play and the NFL\u2019s decision to not give the Eagles possession.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In his explanation Sunday night to a pool reporter, referee Clete Blakeman explained the reason the Eagles weren\u2019t awarded the ball was that they couldn\u2019t confirm a clear recovery by the Eagles on the angles they had.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But it turns out they don\u2019t actually need to see a clear recovery to give the Eagles the ball.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I asked McAulay if the bosses in New York are allowed to take a leap and use some deductive reasoning. Even if they don\u2019t see a clear recovery by an Eagle are they allowed to assume the Eagles recovered the football because only Eagles were in the pile around the football? Do they actually need to see a recovery?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>His answer is interesting:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>No they don\u2019t. You\u2019re actually right. They do not have to see video evidence of a recovery. The rule book specifically states that if there\u2019s a pile and there\u2019s only players of one team then that team gets the football. And that\u2019s really \u2026 just like you guys, that\u2019s exactly what I see here. There\u2019s a Dallas player off to the side on his back that can\u2019t possibly be anywhere near the football. So the definitive shot that I saw had three Eagles players on top and you actually see a little bit of the football at one point. It\u2019s common sense that tells you, it jumps out at you that it\u2019s a clear and obvious recovery by the kicking team, in this case Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Officials say there was not a clear recovery<br><br>The only thing that wasn\u2019t clear is which Eagle recovered it! \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2642\ufe0f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FlyEaglesFly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FlyEaglesFly<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wANq0E1xAY\">pic.twitter.com\/wANq0E1xAY<\/a><\/p>&mdash; John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JClarkNBCS\/status\/1071885766211575808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 9, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Yeah, common sense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s sort of like in hockey when a goalie catches a puck but his entire glove is in the net. You don\u2019t actually see the puck cross the line, but they\u2019re allowed to assume it\u2019s a goal because there\u2019s no other logical outcome.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly what happened here and, for some reason, they blew the call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>McAuley speculated that the NFL is working hard to find reasons to not overturn calls. He thinks that they opportunistically saw a Dallas player somewhere near the pile and used that as a reason to not overturn the call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s important to remember it\u2019s not on Blakeman at this point. The officials on the field blew it first by not getting the call right on the field, but after that, it\u2019s the call of the head honchos in New York. Specifically, McAulay said it\u2019s up to Al Riveron and Russell Yurk. The ref on the field can have a say, but the final call belongs to the guys in New York.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And on this one, they just got it wrong.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/myteams-nbc-sports?utm_tags=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Eagles<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/doug-pedersons-struggles-heart-disappointing-season\">Doug Pederson's struggles at heart of disappointing season<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/philadelphia-eagles-sign-running-back-boston-scott-new-orleans-saints-corey-clement-injury\">Eagles reportedly signing tiny running back to replace Clement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/carson-wentz-wont-be-elite-until-he-learns-play-complete-game\">Carson Wentz won't be elite until he learns to play a complete game<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/hamstrung-secondary-eagles-give-staggering-numbers-cowboys\">Hamstrung in secondary, Eagles give up staggering numbers to Cowboys<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-defense-plays-record-number-snaps\">Should Eagles have gone for two to win in regulation?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/p>\n"
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Eagles

Eagles

The Eagles were rightly upset Sunday night about the opening kickoff in their 29-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. 

Kamu Grugier-Hill called it “ridiculous” and Malcolm Jenkins said the folks making the call at the command center should “stay off the bottle.”

NBC Sports Football Rule Analyst Terry McAulay was a guest on Philly Sports Talk tonight so I got to ask him a pretty important question about this play and the NFL’s decision to not give the Eagles possession. 

In his explanation Sunday night to a pool reporter, referee Clete Blakeman explained the reason the Eagles weren’t awarded the ball was that they couldn’t confirm a clear recovery by the Eagles on the angles they had. 

But it turns out they don’t actually need to see a clear recovery to give the Eagles the ball. 

I asked McAulay if the bosses in New York are allowed to take a leap and use some deductive reasoning. Even if they don’t see a clear recovery by an Eagle are they allowed to assume the Eagles recovered the football because only Eagles were in the pile around the football? Do they actually need to see a recovery? 

His answer is interesting: 

No they don’t. You’re actually right. They do not have to see video evidence of a recovery. The rule book specifically states that if there’s a pile and there’s only players of one team then that team gets the football. And that’s really … just like you guys, that’s exactly what I see here. There’s a Dallas player off to the side on his back that can’t possibly be anywhere near the football. So the definitive shot that I saw had three Eagles players on top and you actually see a little bit of the football at one point. It’s common sense that tells you, it jumps out at you that it’s a clear and obvious recovery by the kicking team, in this case Philadelphia.

 

Yeah, common sense. 

It’s sort of like in hockey when a goalie catches a puck but his entire glove is in the net. You don’t actually see the puck cross the line, but they’re allowed to assume it’s a goal because there’s no other logical outcome. 

That’s exactly what happened here and, for some reason, they blew the call. 

McAuley speculated that the NFL is working hard to find reasons to not overturn calls. He thinks that they opportunistically saw a Dallas player somewhere near the pile and used that as a reason to not overturn the call. 

And it’s important to remember it’s not on Blakeman at this point. The officials on the field blew it first by not getting the call right on the field, but after that, it’s the call of the head honchos in New York. Specifically, McAulay said it’s up to Al Riveron and Russell Yurk. The ref on the field can have a say, but the final call belongs to the guys in New York. 

And on this one, they just got it wrong. 

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