I might be biased but

[TZ]

I think that "fumble" call at the end of Wash-NO is the worst call since the tuck rule. And that game gives NO a big advantage in the NFC playoff race

[JonLP24]

1. FWIW I thought it his left elbow was clearly down

before the ball started to appear to come out or anything. I'm not biased when it comes to this particular game and so I'm with you.

[BOSSHOG]

2. TZ, your team was Champs today

[petronius]

3. I'm biased the other way, but I agree with you

I was yelling that it was a fumble before the review, but the replay really didn't seem to show enough to conclusively overturn it. It looked to me like the NO was blocking the view of the elbow during the critical nanosecond...

[BulletproofLandshark]

4. They started the next play before N.O. called time out.

The sorry refs gave them the time out anyway. They never should have even been allowed to look at that play.

[trotsky]

5. Sue, the Foreskins were robbed.

Worst call of the year that I've seen. And I know this because they got it wrong AFTER the review. The whistle had blown, so therefore even if replays showed a fumble (true) and a recovery by the Saints (also true), the fumbling team is supposed to retain possession at the spot of the fumble. (On edit: I know this is the rule, because it's what allowed Denver to keep the ball after that blown Hochuli call against the Chargers last year.)

That ref, and the replay crew, had better get the hell fined out of them, because they affected the outcome of a game with a BLOWN CALL.

[JonLP24]

6. They changed the rule specifically because of Hochuli

The new rules states that if the opposing team obviously recovers the ball they get the ball but I think his elbow was down. Trust me when I say they changed the rule. I'll give an example, week 1 Arizona vs San Francisco shortly before halftime Shaun Hill fumbled and the linebacker ran it in for a touchdown but it was ruled a forward pass. After review it showed the ball was loose and Hill's arm hit it forward and clearly went to an AZ player. Arizona got the ball but at the spot of the recovery and no touchdown.

[trotsky]

7. The way I heard the Hochuli rule explained, it only applies to QB situations.

This was clearly not.

http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/nflnewsfeed/2009/03/hochuli-rule-approved.html

The owners voted today to make such a play subject to a replay review. Under the new rule, the defensive team can be awarded possession of the ball if it made a recovery and the review shows the play to have been a fumble rather than an incomplete pass.

[JonLP24]

8. I wonder what the rule is when it comes to knee being down or fumbled

and an instant recovery. That doesn't address that so I'm not so sure. Anyways from what I seen on replays the back's left elbow was down before the ball popped loose.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Shit. I'm in Toronto and couldn't see it. I tried to follow it online in the WP. nt