A question that I don't think has been brought up

I hate watching replays of losses, especially against da Squealers, but I had to watch the offensive series b/c of Flacco's performance. One thing I noticed was that on the Fumble Return for a TD, Woodley kicked the ball forward about 8-10yds, before he picked it up and ran it in the last 7yds. I always thought that you cannot advance a fumble forward by kicking it, based on the famous Holy Roller game, where Dave Casper purposely kicked the ball into the endzone on the final play of the game so he could recover it for the game winning TD. I always thought that since then, the ruling is that the fumble is placed back where the kick took place, and in this case the Steelers would have the ball on the 15 or 16 yard line. Now I know that Woodley did not purposely kick the ball forward, so maybe that would change the ruling. Then again, this could of been a play where the interpretation of rule could of benefitted us, like the famous Tom Brady tuck rule. He absolutely did kick it. Anyways, I wish someone would enlighten me on this.

I thought about that too, but I'm thinking that the rule you refer to only applies in the last few minutes of a game.

Kind of clutching at straws I think. If he did kick it, it did not look obvious or intentional. Flacco just has to hold onto the ball, or throw it away. We got to Ben a lot more often than they got to Joe, but we coughed up the ball and Ben did not.

If Harbaugh throws the red flag on Mason's catch, if the fumble is ruled dead, if we would have sacked Ben in the 2nd half instead of letting him get away, if JJ doesn't have the stupid PF & help change momentum. A lot more if's, but hey the game is over. Learn from it & move forward for the Tits & don't put yourself in that position so bad things don't happen.

From the NFL Rulebook:
"A player may not bat or punch:

(a) A loose ball (in field of play) toward his opponent’s goal line or in any direction in either end zone.

(b) A ball in player possession. "

So, it sounds to me like you can kick the ball forward, just not using your hands. Strange. And how about part B - no punching a ball to cause a fumble? Never seen that one called.
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I think they missed a helmet to helmet call on the fumble play. Flacco rolls back, and Harrison hits him with the crown of his helmet to Flacco cheek!

I thought any contact to the QB helmet was a PF!?! That includes all helmet-to-helmet hits and any "blow to the head".

I remember the Viking game in '05. Adalius hit Brad Johnson with a helmet to the chest. The back of AD's head rose and hit Johnsons big facemask, and they call PF- helmet to helmet. I think it happened with Suggs on Carson Palmer too.

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Originally Posted by Jeremiah W

Kind of clutching at straws I think. If he did kick it, it did not look obvious or intentional. Flacco just has to hold onto the ball, or throw it away. We got to Ben a lot more often than they got to Joe, but we coughed up the ball and Ben did not.

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Ben did cough up the ball. The Squeelers were just fortunate enough to recover it.

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Originally Posted by ravensnhokies

Dave Casper purposely kicked the ball into the endzone on the final play of the game so he could recover it for the game winning TD. I always thought that since then, the ruling is that the fumble is placed back where the kick took place, .

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by camdenyard

I thought about that too, but I'm thinking that the rule you refer to only applies in the last few minutes of a game.

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The Dave Casper rule states that the offense (except for the player who fumbled) cannot advance their own fumble forward on fourth down or in the last two minutes of the game. It doesn't affect what the defense can do when they recover it. Under NFL rules Any defensive player may recover and/or advance any fumble at any time. It is illegal to "deliberately" kick a ball (except punt, kick), so it would be a judgment call about intent in this case. No intent.

The better solution is to not fumble, not grasp at straws as JW suggests.