Mike Pereira: Non-Call On Michael Crabtree Route Was Correct Call
So by now you know that Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers aren’t too happy wit the non-call that occurred on their last offensive play of the game Sunday. So what does former NFL VP of Officials and current Fox Sports analyst Mike Pereira—who also may be the greatest thing to ever happen to televised sports—think of that call, and the job that referee Jerome Boger and his crew did Sunday? From Fox Sports:
But I’m happy to say Boger and his crew did a commendable job. It was a relatively penalty-free game (49ers had 5, Ravens had 2), and while there are always a few plays in question, the biggest play that had 49ers fans screaming came late in the game. Here was the situation: the 49ers had the ball, fourth-and-goal from the Baltimore 5-yard line with 1:50 left in the game. Baltimore led, 34-29. Kaepernick lofted a pass to Michael Crabtree, who was being guarded by Jimmy Smith. Both players were hand fighting and when you look at this play in real time, there’s not enough to call pass interference against either player. Smith had a quick grab and Crabtree had a quick push-off. Smith went down on the play and the pass fell incomplete. Crabtree never complained and it’s the type of play where a flag thrown against either team would have, in my mind, created more controversy than a decision not to throw the flag. By the way, it couldn’t be defensive holding because the pass was in the air when the contact occurred. It’s either offensive pass interference or defensive pass interference. It was not an obvious foul and until I looked at it in slow motion, it seemed like no foul at all. It’s not a penalty I would want called if I were still VP of Officiating for the NFL. Oh, I forgot one thing that is destined to be looked at this offseason. It is said that teams reflect the temperament of their coach. The competitive nature of the Harbaugh brothers have rubbed off on their respective teams. Super Bowl XLVII was one of the more chippy Super Bowls I’ve seen in a long time. In many ways, it seems to be an extension of what we saw beginning in Week 1 with the replacement officials. The lack of control we saw the first three weeks of the season was hard to reel in once the regular officials resumed their roles. I have to think the NFL can’t be happy with all of the late shoving and the in-your-face mouthiness. It seems to have become the rule, not the exception. It was most apparent in a fray that occurred around the 7-minute mark of the second quarter after Baltimore’s Ed Reed picked off a Kaepernick pass. A melee nearly broke out and personal fouls were called on both teams. Actually, Baltimore defender Cary Williams should have been ejected for shoving an official.
