What We Learned from NFL Week 3

Well, I was prepared to write my normal, generic weekly NFL post listing the five things we learned about the NFL in Week 3. Another boring, mundane, prefabricated column.

Until the end of tonight's game.

There's only one important thing we have learned about the NFL for Week 3. The only relevant, important, and consequential issue of the league came to light in Seattle Monday night.

The NFL's integrity is on life support.

For those of your living under a rock, here's what happened. On the final play of the Green Bay-Seattle game, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 24 yard floater into the end zone. A jump ball ensues. Green Bay defender M.D. Jennings clearly grabs the football and hugs it on his way down. Seattle reciever Golden Tate places his hands around the ball. One ref signals touchback, and another signals touchdown. Replays CLEARLY show that Jennings had full possession of the football. Oh, and by the way, Tate committed a blatant push off on Green Bay safety Sam Shields before getting to the ball.

The "tie-goes-to-the-runner"/Simultaneous Catch rule should not apply here. When a player has 90% minimum possession of the ball, how exactly does it constitute a tie?

Even after instant replay, the officials call it a touchdown. What a disgrace.

The issue here is obvious. By allowing the referee lockout to persist to the point where a nationally televised game is decided by arguably the worst call in NFL history, Commissioner Roger Goodell has compromised the integrity of his league.

How can any coach, player, fan, or media member take the replacement refs seriously after this disgrace? Can you imagine the uproar that would occur if this happened in a playoff game, or heaven forbid, the Super Bowl?

The NFL is truly "too big to fail," so it will survive this.

But will the NFL remain the NFL, or become WWE?

To many, it has now become the latter.

Commissioner Goodell, please, please, end this madness. Save the greatest sports league in the world. Please compromise with the real refs, or another team like the Packers will be robbed like Monday night. In a more impactful game.

Or even worse, your league will no longer be relevant.


Overreaction Plan the Parade Route Week 3 Super Bowl Pick: Minnesota vs Oakland

Top 5

1. Houston
2. Atlanta
3. Arizona
4. Baltimore
5. N.Y. Giants

Bottom 5

32. Cleveland
31. New Orleans
30. St. Louis
29. Miami
28. Carolina