Not sure if anyone is still watching the Esk/Mtl game, but there was just a challenge by Montreal with just under 2 min to go.
Aren't challenges within the last few minutes only to be called by the offical "upstairs"? Can someone clarify the rule for me? Or, did the TSN commentators just say it was Mtl's challenge in error?
dee_allstar: it is my understanding that no challenges can occur withing the last 2 minutes of the game..only upstairs can call for a review.
I dont know why Popp threw the challenge flag for anyway, the pass interference call put the ball on the 1yd line. The refs made the right call, the receiver landed out bounds when he caught the ball.
Because had he won it, it would have been a TD
And with 2 minutes left in the game, what did he have to lose
He had nothing to gain either, there was no way they were coming back to win the game. I thought the rule was that a challenge had to come from upstairs in the last 3 minutes of either half.
The rule is, challenges in the last 3 minutes come from upstairs.
I think he tossed the flag in order to stall until the boys upstairs had a chance to look, or minimum to make them realize maybe they should be looking.
Either way, the coach needs to instill a sense of “never give up” into his athletes, so he isn’t allowed to say, “oh well. The game is lost, so why bother making good coaching decisions”.
Suits and Cuthbert were asleep at the wheel for not correctly identifying what was going on in that instance.
The difference between that being a TD and getting the ball at the one yard line was 2 plays and nearly 40 seconds.
Unlikely, but stranger things than scoring 3 TDs in the last 2 minutes of the game have happened before.