Is Rivera gun shy with the challenge flag?

[Chaos]

This thread is really about the two challenges yesterday that weren't.  The first being the sack of Geno Smith that was ruled an incomplete pass.  It appeared to me that the ball was released after his knee touched down, and this would have resulted in about a ten yard loss.  The second being a play in the third quarter where Mike Tolbert was ruled down by contact for a one-yard loss, but the replay clearly showed his knees didn't touch and he rambled for several positive yards.

 

Rivera hasn't had that much success with the challenge flag, and I wonder if he is keeping it in his pocket against his better judgement only to preserve precious time outs. 

 

At the time of the two plays I mentioned above, the game was still up for grabs, and I honestly couldn't believe we didn't challenge one or both of those plays.

 

Did anyone else notice these and feel we should have challenged?  I know the announcers even mentioned that it looked like Geno was down before releasing the ball, but there was no mention of the Tolbert play, where even the replay showed that his knees didn't touch.

[smash_n_dash]

Do we know if someone in a booth is paid to review plays like this an call down to Ron and give the thumbs up/down on challenging a play? Otherwise I think just looking up at the jumbotron may not have been convincing enough for him since a ref has to have indisputable evidence to overturn.

[Jesse]

I think it was too early on the game with the Hardy no-sack to challenge. There could've been a more important call later in the half or during the 4th quarter. However I do think he would've won had he challenged the play.

[JawnyBlaze]

Tolbert wasn't down, but I don't think it was reviewable because they whistled the play dead. Since they stopped the play, there was nothing to change the outcome to.

[smash_n_dash]

Also, the CBS crew didn't really put up a good replay of the Tolbert run did they?

Edit: yeah, refs whistle ruined the chances of changing the outcome of the play. If they had let him keep running and he had ran for a TD, then a review would have either called him down if his knee was down or we'd have a TD

[Chaos]

Tolbert wasn't down, but I don't think it was reviewable because they whistled the play dead. Since they stopped the play, there was nothing to change the outcome to.

 

Oh, okay.  I thought that the rule was changed so that you could challenge down by contact both ways.

 

[Chaos]

Also, the CBS crew didn't really put up a good replay of the Tolbert run did they?

Edit: yeah, refs whistle ruined the chances of changing the outcome of the play. If they had let him keep running and he had ran for a TD, then a review would have either called him down if his knee was down or we'd have a TD

 

I'm going to go back and look, and I wish I knew how to make gifs from a broadcast, but I recall CBS showing a great slow motion replay where Tolbert's hand was on the ground, but his knees never touched.

[Neylus]

Our jumbotrons (i use that term very loosely) are so bad that Rivera prob can't see enough detail.

[Darth Biscuit]

I think it was too early on the game with the Hardy no-sack to challenge. There could've been a more important call later in the half or during the 4th quarter. However I do think he would've won had he challenged the play.

 

This.  It was a winnable challenge but at that point in the game, it wasn't really critical...

[stratopanther]

I think those idiotic calls the refs made after reviews in the Miami game have messed with his mind.

[DaveThePanther2008]

The Tolbert call was premature if you ask me.  I don't think he was down either but I think the whistle blew.