Monday, September 10, 2001
Replacement refs get few complaints
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It didn't take long for the NFL's replacement officials to draw scrutiny Sunday. How about three instant-replay reviews, two calls challenged, and a critical fourth-down measurement decided by millimeters?
Welcome to the NFL.
The officials had their trial by fire in Paul Brown Stadium. Though there were a few minor gaffes and just seven penalties called — a total fewer than average — their work met with few complaints from either team.
“There are close calls every game,” New England receiver Troy Brown said. “You can't blame (a loss) on that. They had some tough calls to make, and they made them.”
With the league lockout of the regular officials, who are seeking pay scales equal to other pro sports, the season began Sunday with crews of replacements that had previously worked in college, Arena League and NFL Europe games.
The referee Sunday was John Smith. Others: Paul Frerking, Paul Vargo, Lou Hammond, Bob Powell, Dirk Bell and Lee Baxter. The replay official was Bob Boylston, a former NFL official.
Three critical calls came late:
With 2:41 left, Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe rushed on fourth-and-2 from the Bengals' 41. He was marked down inside the 40, and when officials measured, they got down on their knees before deducing the ball was just shy of a first down.
“I thought we had it, but it was otherwise,” Patriots center Damien Woody said. “What can we do?”
New England got the ball back, and with 1:48 left, Takeo Spikes grabbed Bledsoe a moment before Bled soe completed a 5-yard pass. After a discussion, the referees announced Bledsoe was “in the grasp,” causing a 7-yard sack.
On the next play, third-and-17, officials ruled Bledsoe completed a 15-yard pass to Bert Emanuel. Coaches can't challenge calls in the last two minutes of a half, but Boylston asked Smith to stop for a review.
“The replay official becomes just like a coach,” Boylston said. “It's his duty (in the last 2:00) to challenge anything that's reviewable.”
Boylston and Smith watched replays and reversed the call, saying the ball hit the ground.
“I would have challenged if it was outside the two minutes,“ Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said. “It wasn't an easy call, but it was clear to me the ball hit the ground.”
The Bengals challenged a call earlier in the fourth quarter on a Patriots touchdown catch, but the call stood and Cincinnati was penalized a time out.
Some minor gaffes: The game clock ran after Corey Dillon ran untouched out of bounds on one play, the Bengals' time out total was announced wrong, and the ball was twice reset a half-yard off after incomplete passes.
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Replacement refs get few complaints
