2023 NFL Week Two After Further Review, Part Three

 Well, this was a week...

This isn't even getting to Jake or Budleeweiser or anyone else.  This is just a collation of my own research of the level of corruption in just Week Two (after the NFL seemed to keep hands off Week One).

No less than a minimum of eight games either had serious accusation of ref-rigging, manipulation of the game for the point-spread, and/or actual ref-rigging.

Let's start with the one which we CAN pretty much debunk:  The final Patriots play of the Sunday night game in Foxboro between New England and Miami.

The Patriots lateral play is short by inches and the Dolphins take the W. 🤏

📽️: @NFL pic.twitter.com/Tt2pTozVSN

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 18, 2023

Last minute of the game, 4th and 4 for New England at the Miami 33, down 7.

A pass is lateraled back to a Patriots lineman, who is then downed.  The original call is he made it to the line to gain, but the replay official called down, and the review found (as you see the tip of the ball as the lineman is carrying it parallel to the yard lines) him short.  Many felt that was a rig too, but it was not.

Atlanta-Green Bay:  RESULT.  Officiating and league orders.

The main play of this situation comes in the second quarter.

Harder to find this play on video, will link or embed when I do.  I think it was 3rd and 6 at the Atlanta 15, it was an incomplete pass into the end zone.  However, a full ground-level angle on the FOX replay shows openly that the Atlanta defender has the Packer receiver's arm barred, in a form of pass interference.

Instead of the ball at the 1 and a first down, Packers have to kick a field goal for 10-3.  That four points would prove critical.

But when the game became 24-12 Green Bay with 56 seconds to go in the third, the Packer fans got introduced to The Witching Hour:

• Touchdown drive ATL
• 3 and out
• Field goal drive ATL
• 3 and out
• Field goal drive to take the lead ATL
• 4 and out
• Game.

After 17 first downs in the first three quarters, the Packers could not get a single fourth-quarter first down OR stop on defense.  Tell me that's natural.  Please.  Especially because the game should've been 28-12 Packers at that point in the first place.

"Why?" might be another discussion, and revisited later in the season.

Seattle-Detroit:  RESULT.  Gambling ring of the Lions.

Someone please tell me I didn't see this coming.

DK Metcalf gets away with a facemask in the end zone without a call.

The next play, a clear offensive holding takedown gets no call.  Drive resulted in a field goal.

Then, soon after, Pete Carroll is all over an official for a penalty, and should've received one himself.

But perhaps the most telling situation that Detroit was not going to win the game was a FOX graphic with 10 1/2 minutes to go in the fourth and Detroit getting the ball down 3.  It was a graphic showing Jared Goff had one of the top five longest streaks without an interception in NFL history.

Five plays later, 31-21, pick-six.

That's one -- and you will see several more this year.  You do not fucking piss off the NFL.

Kansas City vs. Jacksonville -- RESULT. RTP no-call.

All I've been able to see with this is still pictures of a helmet-shot RTP no-call benefitting the Chiefs.  I would not be shocked if budleeweiser or Jake finds it.  I'll be looking, there's a lot of beef on that call and I don't believe the NFL could afford to have the Chiefs go down 0-2.

This is already getting too long.  So I'll split this here.