And then Bill Barnwell publishes this . . .

[Beerracuda]

I don't care what anyone says. I will go to my grave defending Smith and that "drop." Fans are calling it a drop, so-called national experts are saying it. Baltimore radio jappers are saying it 24-7. I contend that Torrey never had control of, or potentially had control of, that ball. The ball hit his fingertips and bounced off his hands going forward.

If one wants to be a WR in the NFL, one has to catch virtually everything that hits your hands. That being said, it's not the easiest catch in the world to make, as he was looking over his head on the run. Still, that catch has to be made, especially considering the game circumstances. Although, he's excused for that mistake considering his is, after all, a rookie... oh, and he catches the game winner a few plays later.

[HoustonRaven]

They both had a hold on each others biceps, one with each hand, until he was dragged to the ground. If thats a hold than so was Gays in which case theyre offsetting, but I still dont see that as a hold and neither do most ex players and other commentators who have said as much.

Collinsworth disagrees with you. A segment or two after it happened, they showed the opposite angle, clearly showing the side judge's view -- Smith with a hand full of Steeler jersey. He changed his mind as did Michaels.

The only people who are belly aching about that hold today are Ravens fans with purple glasses.

[StingerNLG]

They both had a hold on each others biceps, one with each hand, until he was dragged to the ground. If thats a hold than so was Gays in which case theyre offsetting, but I still dont see that as a hold and neither do most ex players and other commentators who have said as much.

Doesn't matter. Defensive player can push on the outside of a defender as long as he's moving towards the ball. Gay's move was legal. An offensive player can not grab a defender on the outside of the shoulder pads. That's holding.

If Torrey was inside Gay's arms pushing or grabbing on his chest, it would have been legal.

[Firststater]

If one wants to be a WR in the NFL, one has to catch virtually everything that hits your hands. That being said, it's not the easiest catch in the world to make, as he was looking over his head on the run. Still, that catch has to be made, especially considering the game circumstances. Although, he's excused for that mistake considering his is, after all, a rookie... oh, and he catches the game winner a few plays later.

"Your comment, that catch has to be made is not my issue, and you have a point. But your point is purely hypothetical and is an emotional response based purely on circumstances in a game, IMO. And would be rare even in the NfL. If Smith was a step closer to the ball I would agree. And if it hit him where Boldin's ball hit him, I would agree. His was not a drop. It was a miss and an uncompletion. Pure and simple.

There is no way in hell anyone catches that identical ball, under the same circumstances, more than 1% of the time in the NFL if even then. If the world is like you say it wouls be very common and an easy catch. Therefore, just quickly cite me five times this season when a similar catch was made in the entire realm of football and send me the clips. It is not a fact that that catch will be made without lots of luck or stickum. Smith had no luck. He had a guy pulling on him after running, stopping, starting and still almost made a miraculous play. He did not have stickum on his fingertips. At that moment in time, someone had to be blamed. He was their scapegoat and remains so.

I am talking about physics at that moment in time. Ball flying away from you, ball hits fingertips as you are in the air and the catch is made. Ok, it's now your dime I am waiting.

I think you are dealing in what would we'd like, what would have been super, what "has to be" done in a given situation. This has nothing to do with physics or scientific fact. Waiting for your quick five citings.

[JAB1985]

Collinsworth disagrees with you. A segment or two after it happened, they showed the opposite angle, clearly showing the side judge's view -- Smith with a hand full of Steeler jersey. He changed his mind as did Michaels.

The only people who are belly aching about that hold today are Ravens fans with purple glasses.

disagree, but to each their own.

Doesn't matter. Defensive player can push on the outside of a defender as long as he's moving towards the ball. Gay's move was legal. An offensive player can not grab a defender on the outside of the shoulder pads. That's holding.

If Torrey was inside Gay's arms pushing or grabbing on his chest, it would have been legal.

IF a player goes out and grabs an offensive player and brings him down thats defensive holding or illegal use of hands. in which case the penalties would be off setting.

[goodandfast]

"Your comment, that catch has to be made is not my issue, and you have a point. But your point is purely hypothetical and is an emotional response based purely on circumstances in a game, IMO. And would be rare even in the NfL. If Smith was a step closer to the ball I would agree. And if it hit him where Boldin's ball hit him, I would agree. His was not a drop. It was a miss and an uncompletion. Pure and simple.

There is no way in hell anyone catches that identical ball, under the same circumstances, more than 1% of the time in the NFL if even then. If the world is like you say it wouls be very common and an easy catch. Therefore, just quickly cite me five times this season when a similar catch was made in the entire realm of football and send me the clips. It is not a fact that that catch will be made without lots of luck or stickum. Smith had no luck. He had a guy pulling on him after running, stopping, starting and still almost made a miraculous play. He did not have stickum on his fingertips. At that moment in time, someone had to be blamed. He was their scapegoat and remains so.

I am talking about physics at that moment in time. Ball flying away from you, ball hits fingertips as you are in the air and the catch is made. Ok, it's now your dime I am waiting.

I think you are dealing in what would we'd like, what would have been super, what "has to be" done in a given situation. This has nothing to do with physics or scientific fact. Waiting for your quick five citings.

Please address the fact that Torrey Smith himself has said that he should have caught it and, had he not slowed down, it would have been easier than he made it.

[Dave Lap]

I don't care what anyone says. I will go to my grave defending Smith and that "drop." Fans are calling it a drop, so-called national experts are saying it. Baltimore radio jappers are saying it 24-7. I contend that Torrey never had control of, or potentially had control of, that ball. The ball hit his fingertips and bounced off his hands going forward.

This was after he ran, twisted, slowed when Flacco scrambled, took off again, got held, sped up and finally took off again and stretched in the air trying to catch the overthrown ball. He was never in place in space in time to catch that ball.

He dropped an earlier ball in the game. He also caught several others. Boldin's drop was a bonafide, in-the-chest drop. No question, no controversy. Smith's ball in controversy was not a drop it was merely an incompletion, and I wish that is what people would start calling it.

How do you "drop" a ball in the NFL that only hits your fingertips as the ball is clearly sailing away from you. 100% of the time in football it's called incomplete with absolute certainty. That was not a drop, it was just a simple uncompleted pass. Smith will take the blame because he is a rookie and felt he let the team down. If he were not a rookie people would not have blamed him. However, immediately after the play folks immediately called it a drop, and will not now change their storyline even after he won the game. Ego, and the fact that the man is a rookie? It would hurt far too much pride if anyone changed. The fool Bayless is the one person who sees it the way I did, according to comments made yesterday.

Immediately after the miss, the Sandusky correctly called it an incomplete in real time, and he was right then, and the words recorded on the tape are still right. Everyone is else wrong!

If you can get both hands on the ball you should be able to catch it. That's a high standard and probably impossible in some cases, but it's the rule of thumb for NFL receivers.

[Firststater]

If one wants to be a WR in the NFL, one has to catch virtually everything that hits your hands. That being said, it's not the easiest catch in the world to make, as he was looking over his head on the run. Still, that catch has to be made, especially considering the game circumstances. Although, he's excused for that mistake considering his is, after all, a rookie... oh, and he catches the game winner a few plays later.

Oh yeah, I will let you off the hook. Since it is a catch that has to be made, and can be made so easily, go into your back yard and make that similar catch, under similar circumstances and get back to me with your five citings and tell me how many times you successfully made that "has to be made" catch. If you are not athletic and a beer drinker, as your handle implies, I will understand your not going into the backyard, and I am beginning to understand your drin err thinking process. LOL.

[BcRaven]

I like how Harrison was so "Fabulous" that he and his defense 1) gave up 92 yards on a game-winning drive 2) at home 3) to their worst rivals 4) in primetime, engineered by a guy who, evidently, was so not "Fabulous" as to not even warrant a mention: Joseph Vincent Flacco...

aka, four out of four is 100% in my book. You are absolutely correct... Bc

[Raveninwoodlawn]

Re: Torrey slowing down...

Torrey has done that quite a few times...he has to stop underestimating Joe's arm and just run all the way through the routes.

[JStruds]

If you can get both hands on the ball you should be able to catch it. That's a high standard and probably impossible in some cases, but it's the rule of thumb for NFL receivers.

I think it's a lot like judging errors in baseball. There is a certain amount of both objectivity and subjectivity involved.

Earlier in the game, Smith had one glance off his fingertips; no way that's a drop. I also don't think Pollard dropped his potential interception because of the level of difficulty making that catch involved.

I do think Smith dropped the one a few plays before he caught the winner. Was it a bad drop? No, it was a moderately difficult catch for an NFL receiver, but one that a professional is expected to make more often than not.

[goodandfast]

Re: Torrey slowing down...

Torrey has done that quite a few times...he has to stop underestimating Joe's arm and just run all the way through the routes.

Correct, and he's stated that. Its all a matter of the QB and the receiver getting comfortable with each other.