There's going to be some hard feelings about the forward progress whistle that stopped an apparent fumble by the Giants. The only possible way out of it, is if the runner (Bradshaw?) heard the whistle and then relaxed his grip on the ball. If not, that was a quick whistle and a tough break for the 49ers.
One thing is clear though: Eli is one tough dude. They beat him up all game long but he hung in.

I thought the Ravens had a touchdown at the end. You only need a moment's possession in the end zone. I thought the Baltimore receiver had it.

Unlike the bad calls in the Packer game, which seemed blatantly crooked, at least today's two were defensible.

I think the Evans non-touchdown was a good call. At full speed, it was certainly a drop--too quick to call "possession." I'm no expert, but on a play like this, it seems that watching it in slow-mo would actually cloud the call rather than clarify it.

"Aaron Hernandez [on the miss]: 'I was watching. My heart was pumping because I knew I had a chance to make that play so we wouldn't have to give the ball back to them. It was crazy. I feel bad for Billy Cundiff because it's a tough kick with a lot of pressure but I'm glad we came away with a victory.'"
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2012/01/patriots_talk_a.html

Today's contests were stressful on kidneys across the land and around the globe.

I was suprised that they didn't throw the review flag on that one. Maybe the boys up in the Baltimore booth wanted to save the time out for a field goal attempt or something. In slow motion it looked like a catch, and the rules of the game allowed a review as long as they managed their time-outs, etc. wisely. I suppose what goes around comes around and the underdog gets a break now and then.

These were four well-matched teams in the closely-contested conference championship games today -- and the outcomes, as often happens in such cases, turned on a key mistake by someone (even referees, but not this time) -- and in the two cases today the better performing teams won.

After a year of high-scoring, record-setting offenses and offensive stars, it was thrilling to watch those games and the outstanding defensive performances by all four teams. It was great stuff.

A difficult night and a long winter ahead for SF's Kyle Williams and Baltimore kicker, Billy Cundiff. The goat in the NE game could just've easily have been -- and almost was -- Patriots' kick returner, Danny Woodhead, who fumbled on that 3rd quarter kickoff return which led to 3 pts. for the Ravens.

Cundiff will be back next season. This year he ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in FG kicking, and #2 in kickoffs. He should call Gary Anderson up and take him out to lunch for a chit-chat, or something to help get his mind right after today's spectacular miss. Scott Norwood might have some perspectives to share, too. But, HFF, Ravens' WR Lee Evans has some serious 'splainin' to do. Oy.

Maybe Cundiff and the kid at Stanford could start a blog.

Alas, U.K., the Sterling Moore strip / Lee Evans drop came with just 0:22 left in the game, and after the two minute warning, there can be no coach's challenges and only the NFL's replay booth officials can have a call or play reviewed, per the rules.

What if: Ravens lament Lee Evans drop, Billy Cundiff miss | Staff report, Sporting News
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-01-22/what-if-ravens-lament-lee-evans-drop-billy-cundiff-miss

As story lines unfolded in the wake of Sunday's AFC title game, two members of the Baltimore Ravens were in the spotlight for their failures. The obvious one was kicker Billy Cundiff, who hooked a potential game-tying field goal wide left. The other was veteran wide receiver Lee Evans.

It was Evans, after all, who had the Ravens' ticket to the Super Bowl in his hands. And then, he didn't. And the New England Patriots escaped with a 23-20 victory.

With 22 second left in regulation, quarterback Joe Flacco found Evans open in the end zone. His pass was on the numbers, and Evans appeared to have the ball tucked away as he turned to avoid defender

But the Pats' Sterling Moore knocked the ball loose. Incomplete pass.

Really? The Ravens didn't think so. To them, and to television viewers who had the advantage of replay, it appeared to be a reception. And a touchdown that would likely give the Ravens a 27-23 lead and a victory.

But on the field, officials saw it as an incomplete pass. It was their call on whether to review the play. And they didn't, despite protests from Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

"I tried to get their attention and thought it would be looked at," Harbaugh told media members after the game. "I thought they would have at least looked at it. I was surprised that they didn't look at it. Obviously, in that situation, I thought they would have looked at it."

Harbaugh said he never got an explanation from the officials. However, replays suggested Evans was losing control of the ball before Moore clubbed it away.

The play stood, with Moore, a rookie free agent getting credit for arriving just in time to knock out the ball.

"I feel like I had it, but it came out," Evans said. "I don't know how to put it into words. Honestly, it's the most disappointing part of all of this that I feel personally that I let everybody down.

"It hit me right where you would want to be hit. It was a great pass by Joe and a play not completed by me. Nobody else can take the fault."

Not surprisingly, Evans was distraught after the game.

“Honestly, the most disappointing part of all this ... that I feel personally that I let everybody down," Evans told The Baltimore Sun. "This is the greatest team that I’ve been on, and I feel like I let everybody down. Yeah, it’s on my shoulders. I think Ray (Lewis) gave a good message coming in here. It’s hard to sit here and accept how and why things happened, but it’s the reality of it. It’s as tough as it gets.”

Just to make sure, Moore followed that play with another game-saver. Needing a yard for first down, Flacco targeted tight end Dennis Pitta. And again, just in time, there was Moore to knock the ball away.

Cundiff will wear the goat's horns for his flawed kick.

"The timing was just a little off," Cundiff said. "I'm disappointed. I let my teammates down."

His teammates didn't think so. The kick was one of dozens of plays that affected the outcome.

"Not one play won or lost this game," Lewis said. "There's no 'Oh, Billy's the fault. Billy missed the (kick).' There's no freaking 'Billy missed the kick.' It happened. Move on."

On to Indianapolis....

Re Sterling Moore, a substitute corner who had been burned earlier in the contest:

"For an NFL rookie, Sterling Moore sure has seen a thing or two.

He was undrafted out of Southern Methodist University, made the Raiders' practice squad, got released from the Raiders' practice squad, was signed by the Patriots in October, started every snap against the Jets in November, then got released, signed to the practice squad and elevated to the active roster in December ...

... and now, he's a postseason hero in January."
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2012/01/sterling_perfor.html

Thanks for the explanation Mojo...I didn't hear the announcers comment on Harbaugh's inability to throw a flag, etc., and I forgot about the 2 minute no flag thing. The Ravens definitely deserved the benefit of a review on such a close one. Although a defensive battle is enjoyable now and then, I am looking forward to the Brady vs. Manning shoot out in a few weeks.

OK

Also think Flacco is not as bad (based on yesterday) as everyone says he is.

He's not bad. He's very good, but inconsistent.

Giants!

I was writing my injury-beset Giants off in August, having lost 5 starters to injury before the opening weekend. But we muddled through the rough part of our schedule, beating Dallas twice and Green Bay at Lambeau and peaking at the right time.

Go big blue!

As a Bay Area native, I left parts of my heart in San Francisco a long time ago, and another part at a local sports bar last night, along with a $50 bill. We had it, I tell you, we had it in the bag...

Uh-oh -- Looks like Coach Harbaugh has big share of blame for Ravens' loss (note funny business with Patriotgate scoreboard) -- should've called time-out for game-tying kick on 4th down. What in the "wide-world-agony-of-defeat" was he saving it for?

At the Harbaugh clan's Super Bowl party, brother Jim should get the best seat in front of the big screen tv (great 1st year as NFL head coach); Johnny, perhaps the rocking chair near the powder room.

Harbaugh didn't think timeout before Cundiff miss was necessary - Team had one more timeout before fateful miss
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-harbaugh-didnt-think-timeout-before-cundiff-miss-was-necessary-20120122,0,1728961.story

Cundiff: Scoreboard showed third down
Fox Sports - Updated JAN 24, 2012 2:41 AM ET
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Billy-Cundiff-Baltimore-Ravens-kicker-blames-New-England-Patriots-scoreboard-error-for-missed-field-goal-012312

Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff said he had to rush on to the field before his game-ending miss in Sunday's AFC Championship Game because of a scoreboard malfunction at Gillette Stadium.

Cundiff missed the 32-yard field goal in the final seconds, leaving the Ravens with a 23-20 defeat at New England instead of heading to overtime for a shot at a berth in Super Bowl XLVI.

He takes full responsibility for the miss, but explained to Deadspin that he coordinates his pre-kick routine to the scoreboard and thought it was only third down when he was suddenly called to take the potentially game-tying kick.

A Ravens spokesman said that after watching the All-22 video of the game, team officials confirmed the scoreboard error. Still, some analysts have questioned why head coach John Harbaugh did not call a timeout to give his kicker more time to prepare for the momentous try.

One unnamed Ravens player told TMZ on Monday that the Ravens coaches called for Cundiff at least six times and were "furious" that he was not immediately ready after the failed third down play.

Another player said he did not see the confrontation, but noted it was being widely discussed throughout the team.

After the game, Cundiff said "the timing seemed a little bit off," on the kick, but said he still felt he was going to convert.

"It's a kick I've kicked a thousand times in my career. I just went out there and didn't convert," Cundiff said. "That's the way things go. There's really no excuse for it. It just didn't go through."

In an interview with ESPN on Monday, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs also said there was a discrepancy between the scoreboard and what the officials were saying on the field about the actual down and distance.

Some players on the Baltimore sideline were confused after what they thought was a first-down reception by wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

But when officials spotted the ball, which Boldin fumbled out of bounds on the play, the Ravens still had a yard to go.

Baltimore ran two more plays before Cundiff was called upon.

"There was just a lot of confusion on that last play," Suggs said. "Those last two plays, it happened so fast."

Cundiff admirably stood up and spoke plainly and directly in postgame press conference, saying he's "paid to make field goals."