Reviewing NFL Week 12 officiating calls

There is plenty of chatter coming out of Tampa Bay regarding the defensive pass interference call on cornerback Myron Lewis with 37 seconds remaining in the first half of the Buccaneers’ Week 12 loss to the Ravens.

The NFL is investigating the apparent verbal altercation outside the official's locker room between one of the officials and cornerback Aqib Talib. The call itself is one of those that could go either way.

There is an armbar early in the route just as the ball is being thrown and the rule is specific in saying a defender cannot stick out his arm across the chest of a receiver affecting the receivers attempt to make the catch. The action at the end is not enough for a foul.

The announcers had different opinions. Fifty guys in a bar would probably be split down the middle with their opinions. Bottom line is this is going to be called from time to time and it is not a phantom call.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris overreacted at halftime as he was leaving the field and I am sure that Talib did, too. If the official cursed him, the official is wrong. But there does come a point when any human being has taken enough and it is hard not to respond. I have experienced these situations before and it ends up a he said-she said.

Last point: Boris Cheek made the call and he is one of the best deep officials the NFL has ever had. Ask pretty much any coach. In my former role as vice president of officiating, I received many calls from coaches telling me what a great job Cheek does communicating with coaches and handling the sidelines.

Our game is an emotional game. Things like this are going to happen. Let's not make any more out of it than has already been made. Move on!

• By the way, a holding call against Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin with 5:14 left in the third quarter of that game took away an 76 yard touchdown catch and run by Ray Rice.

Boldin reached out and attempted to grab Sabby Piscitelli at the 30 yard line. This is another questionable call and this one took points of the board. The same 50 guys in the bar would end up disagreeing on this one, too. Point is, these things happen both ways.

Morris has done an exceptional job with the Buccaneers this season and he needs to maintain his composure when things like this go against his team. He can't go after the officials at halftime like he did. Talib is right with him when he is berating Cheek walking off the field.

You lead by example ,and there is no doubt in my mind that Raheem's tirade influenced the exchange with Talib outside the locker room. I guess I have a hard time moving on from the incident.

• Interesting play near the end of the Week 12 Eagles-Bears game. The Eagles attempted an onside kick with 1:48 left in the game. The high-bounding kick was caught by the Bears’ Johnny Knox, who landed on the ground after possessing the kick in the air.

After getting up, an Eagles player knocked the ball out of Knox's hands. The officials on the field ruled that Knox had declared himself down so the play was over regardless of whether a kicking team member touched him.

Rule 7, Section 4, Article 1, (a), states "An official shall declare dead ball and the down ended when a runner declares himself down by falling to the ground and making no effort to advance."

Therefore, this is not reviewable in replay, which is why it did not get a look. Knox did appear to be touched twice anyway, once on the way down by Jamar Chaney and again by Akeem Jordan while he was lying on the ground. Either touch makes him down by contact.

• Quarterback Jay Cutler was flagged again for unsportsmanlike conduct for yelling at the back judge after the official did not call defensive pass interference with 8:28 remaining in the fourth quarter in the Bears’ game against the Eagles

I say good for the back judge. Cutler is a perennial whiner. He was flagged last season for the same thing.

Cutler had a point ,because interference should have been called on the play. But say your peace and then leave. Don't keep after the official. It will earn you a flag.

Officials have long memories when it comes to players screaming at them and getting flagged for it. Word travels from crew to crew. It didn't cost the Bears here but it could in the future.

It is amazing what I can say now that I don't work for the NFL anymore.

• Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is upset with an offensive pass interference call against wide receiver Kassim Osgood with 7:13 remaining in the fourth quarter of his team’s 24-20 loss to the New York Giants. I read where Del Rio was going to send this into the officiating department for a review.

As much as I like Jack, I think he loses this one. Osgood initiated the block against Terrell Thomas at the line of scrimmage, which is legal, but he then drives Thomas more than a yard downfield before the ball was caught by Mike Thomas. That is offensive pass interference. It makes no difference that the pass was caught behind the line.

• Here is a big call in a tight game. An Illegal block in the back call on Redskins rookie linebacker Perry Riley at 6:55 of the fourth quarter brought back a Washington punt return for a touchdown. It was a huge call in a game which ended up as a 17-13 victory for the Vikings.

There are so many blocks on kickoffs and punts that blocks in the back can easily be missed. Field judge Craig Wrolstad stepped up and nailed this call.

So little is said when a correct call of this magnitude is made. Most of us, including me, find it easy to criticize. If we are going to criticize, then we ought to praise when a call like this is made. It can be the difference between winning and losing.

• Washington's Ma'ake Kemoeatu was called for defensive holding on a running play with 14:17 remaining in the third quarter. Really! What is significant about this is the fact the NFL more or less gave up on the notion of calling this foul with the umpire in the offensive backfield.

This is the first time I have seen this year. The foul has been called, but only when the umpire is in his old position. Umpire Chad Brown pulled this one out of his hat. Very impressive, and it shows it can be done. A TV replay showed it was an excellent call.

A bigger concern has been the defense shouting signals to cause the offense to false start. That one is really tough for the umpire to get. Overall, I think the movement of the umpire has had a positive effect on the game and the umpires are clearly safer for at least most of the game.