How Can Smith Be Called For A Blind Side Block

[afan]

The runner was making his way to the second level and the defender was only 2 or 3 yards from the ball carrier. Now Smith catches him with the perfect block, if no block the defender catches the runner and only a short gain. These Refs are calling any hard hit a foul. It is time to teach refs what is a foul and what is not and stop these refs from being cowards and stop letting the NFL office decide how they call a game. I bet this block would be a play of the week block if it were last year.

[Tootsie]

The runner was making his way to the second level and the defender was only 2 or 3 yards from the ball carrier. Now Smith catches him with the perfect block, if no block the defender catches the runner and only a short gain. These Refs are calling any hard hit a foul. It is time to teach refs what is a foul and what is not and stop these refs from being cowards and stop letting the NFL office decide how they call a game. I bet this block would be a play of the week block if it were last year.

Wasnt it Pitta?

[Peej7245]

It looks to me like the officials are having as much trouble as the players in discerning a legal vs illegal hit especially in normal speed.

From the replay, I can guess that any coach would grade that block with the highest mark. We saw three issues with the call on Torrey Smith's block....

1) He used his shoulder in the classic block of a bigger player: did not lead with his helmet.

2) The point of contact was near the bottom of the block-ee's shoulder pads.

3) In slow motion, the block-ee's helmet shifted forward slightly at the contact. If Torrey Smith had gone helmet to helmet, the block-ee's helmet did not snap back at all!

The offiicials blew the call on national TV!

[DColeman]

Thanks Hines Ward for that....

[BlandFood]

Thanks Hines Ward for that....

Pretty much.

[Jeebus]

Thanks Hines Ward for that....

Ironically, the NY Giants player who Smith hit with the blindside block was the same guy Hines Ward hit that caused the new rule, LB Keith Rivers.

[Struds]

It looks to me like the officials are having as much trouble as the players in discerning a legal vs illegal hit especially in normal speed.The offiicials blew the call on national TV!

This is exactly right. Then, in the SF/Seattle game, another crew called a perfect hit a penalty probably simply because the reciever's head snapped back.

[Eastside Terp]

that and the reed call were horrible .....

they were both perfect, shoulder to the chest hits ........

[Fang]

From where I was sitting it looked like Torrey Smith his that defender in the chest. So I can't understand how it was a blind side hit.

What's even worse was the phantom Michael Oher false start.

No doubt the refs had a horrible game. But the Ravens are DIVISION CHAMPS!!! Woo Hoo!!!