Did Broncos get away with pass interference on Gronkowski?

[KamaAina]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25460880/did-broncos-get-away-with-pass-interference-on-gronkowkski-in-end-zone

With 2:30 to go in Sunday's AFC Championship Game and trailing 20-12, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lobbed a pass into the end zone intended for tight end Rob Gronkowski. But Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was in coverage and the ball fell harmlessly to the turf.

Except it sure looked like Talib was bear-hugging Gronkowski before the ball arrived:



In which case, Talib should have been flagged for pass interference and the Patriots should have gotten the ball at the Broncos' 1-yard line. Instead, Denver took over possession, though they punted four plays later. Eight plays after that, the Patriots and Gronk finally found the end zone to cut the lead to 20-18 ... only to fail on the two-point conversion.

If this all sounds familiar, it should. Two years ago, the Patriots lost on a last-second play involving Brady, Gronkowski and an end-zone pass that fell incomplete thanks to some "aggressive" coverage courtesy of Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly:



Tell me again how the league is in bed with the Pats.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

1. I say good no call.

That was a Quail Mary. No chance he's going to get bailed out in this game. Both players are trying to get position. A third player came in from the side preventing Gronk from elevating.

Subjectivity isn't meant to be consistent.

[tk2kewl]

2. I think he had a handful of jersey with his left hand

I don't think the officials could see it, but I think it might have prevented Gronk from getting much of leap

[mythology]

3. Considering how often Gronkowski pushes off, it's hard to take that complaint seriously

Also if the league wasn't in bed with the Patriots, why did the league let the Patriots get away with claiming that their illegal taping scheme was only for a few games when the league destroyed more than 40 games worth of illegal tapes?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/08/report-patriots-spygate-cheating-was-widespread-over-many-years/

The people responsible for that weren't suspended for a game, much less the several years that prolonged cheating should get.

[hughee99]

4. I'm a Pats fan, and I thought it was a good no-call.

Brady threw a jump ball into three defenders and it didn't look like it had any effect on the play. I don't blame the refs for not bailing Brady out with a flag. I didn't see any issues with the refs in the game. They weren't perfect, but they called it fair and let the players play.

[lovemydog]

6. Yeah, I was impressed by the Pats sportsmanship

throughout the game and after it ended. Tough loss to take, but they had a heck of a great season considering all their injuries, particularly to their offensive line. Even though he got roughed up (touched 20 times, the most in any NFL game all year) Brady once again showed his grit & determination. He's in the conversation of greatest quarterback of all time. I think Joe Montana is in that conversation but comparing quarterbacks from different eras is kind of absurd. I feel he's the best of the past 15 years.

[RiffRandell]

7. I agree with your post, but there was some shitty

plays by the Broncos that were meant to injure.

I saw at least three spearing helmet hits.

Denver played great defense...they were all over Brady who imo, just seemed off yesterday.

The funny thing (not really) was that when they missed the extra point after their first TD my husband was all like 'it's no big deal' and our son who just got into football this year and I were like that can win or in our case, lose the game.

Who knows what could have happened in OT? Would have been exciting to see.

[lovemydog]

8. Yeah, when he missed the extra point

I told my friend 'This is the part where they say 'That could come back to haunt them.'' It did.

[RiffRandell]

9. Yup.

[lovemydog]

5. I thought it was a good no-call.

My friend who I was watching with is a big New England fan. He yelled 'pass interference!' and I said 'No way.' Then he got increasingly agitated throughout the rest of the game. It was a pretty tense game throughout, and I thought very well-played in an-old school way in terms of clock management and conservative play. The NFC game was like watching the Panthers setting a winning score at pinball.