And then Bill Barnwell publishes this . . .

[RavensRock]

I'm not sure if anyone else here reads Grantland, but I thought this might be an interesting read for other Ravens fans. He comments on the Pittsburgh - Ravens game at the very bottom and offers a controversial perspective Torrey Smith.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...lops-of-week-9

Bill Barnwell is responsible for most of the NFL coverage on grantland, and IMO misses the point more times than not. If you want a good chuckle, check out his NFL preview posts from back in September.

I'm not sure what the controversial perspective is. We all know he slowed down on the route since he admitted that (he is a rookie for crying out loud). The holding call was very questionable. Mark Schlereth who played line for 10+ years says it WAS NOT a hold. You can't be a flop when you dropped the winning pass only to gather your composure and still pull out the game winning catch.

[MarkS]

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.

....He was never in place in space in time to catch that ball...

...How do you "drop" a ball in the NFL that only hits your fingertips as the ball is clearly sailing away from you...

Please see the screenshot below: Torrey never fully extended his arms to make the catch. THAT'S why it went off his fingertips. If he reaches out, it hits him squarely in the hands.

We can quibble over the term "drop", and no one would describe it as an easy catch. But it's a makeable one (way more than 1% of the time, as you posted somewhere else, BTW). The simple fact is though, he didn't give himself the CHANCE to make the catch, and that's on him.

If he were not a rookie people would not have blamed him.

Pretty sure if he were a veteran he'd be getting even more heat, just my opinion

[houstonravensfan]

So he did not catch everything thrown at him. And he was called for holding.

He's a rookie, and "only" a 2nd-rounder at that. Oh, one more thing: his catch won the game. I'll "settle" for that.

[Firststater]

Please see the screenshot below: Torrey never fully extended his arms to make the catch. THAT'S why it went off his fingertips. If he reaches out, it hits him squarely in the hands.

We can quibble over the term "drop", and no one would describe it as an easy catch. But it's a makeable one (way more than 1% of the time, as you posted somewhere else, BTW). The simple fact is though, he didn't give himself the CHANCE to make the catch, and that's on him.



Pretty sure if he were a veteran he'd be getting even more heat, just my opinion

Sorry, I cannot tell much of anything from your still photo. I see the ball on his fingertips and him reaching up for it. I have watched that film 7-8 times in real time, and do not change my view of what happened in real time. He never had the ball in his possession. Even if he did not extend his arms, as you say, he still did not drop the ball, IMO. He never had it is his possession to drop it. That has been my position since I saw the catch. That is not what you are saying, but hundreds of experts are calling it a drop.

You are correct, if he "never fully extended his arms" he doesn't and cannot catch much of anything. Maybe if he were stronger and could have flew na inch further he catches that ball.

In addition, if he is not held, if he does not slow down, if he does not look back and see Flacco scrambling he probably would also be in place to have caught the ball. But if he had not turned, stopped and waited earlier in the game he would not have caught that long pass to the right side of the field that was underthrown and behind the defender. I've heard some say he has to keep running on his routes. Well, he doesn't catch that deep come-backer earlier if that's the case. I know you are not saying all that, but these are some responses I see.

My argument has always been against that he "dropped" that ball. My counter argument is what it is, he never had possession. Even if he did not extend his arms, as you say, he still did not drop the ball. He never had it in his possession to drop it. Boldin did.

[goodandfast]

Please see the screenshot below: Torrey never fully extended his arms to make the catch. THAT'S why it went off his fingertips. If he reaches out, it hits him squarely in the hands.

We can quibble over the term "drop", and no one would describe it as an easy catch. But it's a makeable one (way more than 1% of the time, as you posted somewhere else, BTW). The simple fact is though, he didn't give himself the CHANCE to make the catch, and that's on him.



Pretty sure if he were a veteran he'd be getting even more heat, just my opinion

Give up. You are talking to someone who has never been wrong about anything in his life.

[Firststater]

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.

Read my dozens of other posts on this subject: I answered that issue several times.

[Sua Sponte]

No one has mentioned it, so I will. In a strange way (in hindsight of course) that drop worked out better for the Ravens. Running 4 plays took another 35-40 seconds off the clock. If he had caught it, which when you don't know the outcome is what you prefer, it would have left Pittsburgh with a reasonable amount of time to work their way into field goal range and force overtime.

With 8 seconds less, your running gadget laterals or taking a shot. You don't have your whole play book at your disposal and the way the defense plays you is totally different.

Next time Torrey gets two hands on the ball in the endzone he had better catch it. But this one is forgiveable. And not only because he eventually redeemed himself.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Dirt1]

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.

Collinsworth said after watching a replay of the penalty something to the effect of "that isn't called a penalty a lot ion this league". Smith and Gay had their arms locked up, and Gay flopped.

[HoustonRaven]

Collinsworth said after watching a replay of the penalty something to the effect of "that isn't called a penalty a lot ion this league". Smith and Gay had their arms locked up, and Gay flopped.

Yes, that was his original comment about the play.

And about 15 minutes later they came back to it, showing the opposite angle.

A fist full of Steeler jersey was in Smiths hands and it was right in front of the side judge. Both of them changed their mind.

[NjRavensFan]

Grantland? How would that be any more credible than say.... a blog..... or The Bleacher Report? or any fool with a video camera in their basement and a youtube account?

Ever hear of Bill Simmons? Chuck Klosterman? Malcolm Gladwell?

[festivus]

I think some of us spend way too much time worrying about what Random People With Opinions think.

I don't know who or what Grantland is, but as far as I'm concerned I will concede everyone who writes for that website is as brilliant as Albert Einstein. What do I care about their blurb summary of the game? Whoever the guy is, it took him all of two minutes to write that little masterpiece. Why should I spend more time than that thinking about it?

[lobachevsky]

I don't care what anyone says.

You could have stopped there & no one would have disputed you.

In other news: Water wet, sky blue, sun rises in east...