re: Professional sports being 'fixed' or at least influenced...

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The Falcons got 9 first downs due to penalty, something that hasn't happened in the NFL in 20 years.

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Penalty #1: 2nd and 2 - pass incomplete. Defensive Holding. 1st down. I like the Falcons chances of picking up a 3rd and 2.

Penalty #2: Freeman catches ball for 5 yards. Illegal hands penalty negates play and gives Falcons first down. Freeman then runs for 5 on the next play anyways. I know you can't say the same thing would have happened, but 2nd and 5 is a reasonable down and distance to figure a 1st down can be accomplished in 2 plays.

Drive with Penalties #1 and 2 results in FG.

Penalty #3: 3rd and 11 - this is the roughing the passer play. Big play on touchdown drive.

On this TD drive, the Falcons had 1st and 15 from a false start and converted without penalty. They also converted a 2nd and 20 (without penalty help) after being called for illegal block. The Falcons managed to overcome 2 penalties on this drive to help in scoring a TD.


Penalty #4: Freeman runs for 6 yards but defensive holding gives ATL first down. Again, we were at 2nd and short without the penalty and have a solid chance to continue the drive without the help of the penalty.

Penalty #5: very next play, Gabriel runs for 9 yards and we get the first down due to face mask. You can't argue this one as it was pretty blatant, but without the penalty it is still 2nd and 1.

Ryan throws an INT on this drive anyways, so those 2 penalties didn't really help us score.


Penalty #6: Falcons convert a 3rd and 1 legitimately, but decide to take the Def. Holding on Lattimore because 5 yards > 2 yards. Had no bearing on the drive.

Penalty #7: Illegal contact against NO gives Atlanta a first down after an incomplete pass on 1st and 10. Next two plays were runs of 7 and 5 so, whatever. Again, you can't say that the next two plays happen the same way given a 2nd and 10, but you also can't convince me that a penalty on 1st down negating an incomplete pass is the driving force behind Atlanta's TD on this drive.

Penalty #8: NO called for holding, giving falcons first down. This is a big play and probably affected the drive. Falcons still had to drive 43 yards to score after this. Also, this came right after an Atlanta holding call.



That's 8 plays giving the Falcons a first down. I heard there was 9, but I must have missed it when I skimmed the espn play-by-play.

Regardless, two were really big plays that either prevented a 4th down or helped overcome long yardage after the Falcons themselves were called for holding. 2 of the penalties were on a non-scoring drive. 1 was called after the Falcons got a first down anyways but they decided to take the extra 3 yards. 1 gave them first down instead of a 2nd and 1 situation. 1 gave them first down instead of 3rd and 2 situation. A couple more were first downs instead of 2nd and short/medium.