posted by Zebra Man on Dec 27

A massively loud collective groan was heard from both Browns and Raiders fans across the nation when referee Jeff Triplette was introduced as the head referee. I suspect it is the same groan that Triplette made when he learned of the assignment.

The officiating in the game was poor. The lack of video of crucial penalties was maddening. Triplette repeatedly stood in front of the camera making calls with a look like he desperately wanted to be somewhere else.

At 1:40 remaining in the first half, the Cleveland Browns have the ball while leading by a score of 10 to 6. It is 2nd down with 6 yards to go on the Cleveland 11 yard line. The Browns rush running back Jerome Harrison behind the right guard for a yard. Cleveland Center Alex Mack is called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct after being bull rushed and dragged over 6 yards by Raiders Defensive Tackle Gerard Warren. Although not televised, announcer Randy Cross advises the viewing audience that punches were thrown after the play had ended. He does not indicate who punched at who or what actually happened.

Two plays later, it is 1st and 10 from the Cleveland 23 yard line. Jerome Harrison runs behind his left guard for 2 yards. After the play, a small fracas breaks out and Raiders Defensive End Richard Seymour and Browns Offensive Guard Rex Hadnot are called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Seymour had continued to scrap for the ball after the whistle which caused Browns players to come to the defense of their running back.

Most amusing was Browns quarterback Derek Anderson reaching into the fracas with one arm and pulling and slinging Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt to the ground which resulted in Routt giving Anderson a shove soon afterward to end the melee.

The penalties offset, but Triplette was clearly losing control of the game. For the scuffle, penalties could have/should have been called on Raiders Safety Tyvon Branch, Browns Guard Eric Steinbach, Browns Offensive Tackle Joe Thomas, Derek Anderson, Stanford Routt, along with Seymour and Hadnot.

Thinking that the ref may have said the wrong number, Richard Seymour asks the referee for an explanation of the penalty and is flagged for a second Unsportsmanlike Conduct. After all of the unnecessary roughness in the scuffle that was not called (in which he really did not participate), it is understandable that Seymour would wonder why the flag was thrown on him.

After a 14 yard pass completion, it is now 1st and 10 from the Oakland 46 yard line. Jerome Harrison runs behind his left guard for 4 yards. Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt is called for Unnecessary Roughness and ejected from the game. Routt supposedly flagrantly headbutted a Browns player. However, no video of the incident is aired. The penalty filled drive resulted in a Browns touchdown with 21 seconds remaining in the half.

Fast forwarding ahead, at 8:31 remaining in the 4th quarter, Phil Dawson kicks off to the Raiders after a touchdown puts the Browns up by a score of 23 to 9. Raiders Tightend Tony Stewart is blocking Browns linebacker Alex Hall on the return. As the play ends, Hall punches Tony Stewart and another Raiders player in the face in clear view of the official (according to Stewart). The referee does not throw a flag. When Tony Stewart protests, the ref puts his hand on Stewart’s chest and pushes him backwards. In reflex, Stewart swipes the referee’s hand off of his chest, is called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct, and is ejected for contacting an official. None of this televised.

With the referees now on edge, another questionable call is made a few minutes later. At 6:52 remaining with the Raiders driving, it is 1st and 10 from the Oakland 47 yard line. Raiders quarterback Charlie Frye passes to Raiders Tightend Zach Miller who makes a great catch across the middle at the Cleveland 26 yard line. As he is getting up from being tackled, he drops the ball; it bounces off of his own thigh, and hits the bottom of the foot of a Browns defender still laying on the ground. A flag is thrown and Miller is called for Taunting and the team is penalized for 15 yards. Rewinds show that Miller was merely getting up from the reception and never looked down or stood over the Browns defender in a taunting manner.

The game is coming to a climax when the next questionable ZebraWatch moment took place. The Raiders drive down to the Cleveland 2 yard line while narrowly escaping two interceptions due to a Defensive Pass Interference call on Browns cornerback Hank Poteat (where Poteat initiated contact beyond 5 yards and may have been pulled to the ground by Zach Miller) and a reversed call on an interception by Browns cornerback Eric Wright when replays showed that he only had one foot in bounds during the interception.

With 4:27 remaining in the game, it is Raiders ball on 4th down with goal to go from the Cleveland 2 yard line. Charlie Frye passes to his wide receiver Louis Murphy and the play is broken up. However, a flag is on the field. Raiders wide receiver Chaz Schilens is flagged for Offensive Pass Interference. Repeated rewinds and replays of the play leave fans scratching their head…

Schilens comes off of the line from being flanked wide and meets Browns Cornerback Eric Wright. Schilens runs an in route on the goalline; Wright comes with him with his arm around Schilens’ waist at one point and Schilens turns his body to shield Wright from the ball if it is thrown his way; it looks like Wright has one of Schilens arms penned behind his back at one point. Louis Murphy, in the slot, is mugged as he comes off of the line with Browns Cornerback Mike Adams making contact until Murphy makes his break to the outside. Adams then makes a great play on the ball to break up the pass. This play should have been a non-call, Defensive Pass Interference on Eric Wright, or an Illegal Contact penalty on Adams.

The opening gambling line on the total points scored in the game was 38.5. The phantom offensive pass interference penalty was thrown with the ball still in the air. Even if Murphy had made the catch, the penalty would have negated the touchdown and made sure that the final score remained UNDER the total with the Browns ultimately winning by the score of 23 to 9…..

Week 16 2009 – Raiders at Browns – Play-by-Play