SEEING RED: Tom Coughlin, holding the red challenge flag during Sunday’s 38-35 loss to the Packers, continued to challenge the referees yesterday. (Getty Images)
The Giants are sure the calls did not go their way in Sunday’s last-second 38-35 loss to the still-undefeated Packers. And, at least in one case, they have the picture to prove it.
“I just saw a picture that made me sick to my stomach,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said yesterday, and the fact he believes what’s in the picture validates his case didn’t help ease his queasiness.
Coughlin during the game — the Giants’ fourth consecutive loss — lost two replay challenges and firmly believes he should have won the first one, which could have altered the outcome.
Coughlin first took a look at what he believes is firm evidence there was a blown call when he was handed a picture general manager Jerry Reese was carrying around. In the shot — taken from a freeze frame of a replay from the FOX broadcast — tight end Jake Ballard in the first quarter appears to have his right knee hit down just inside the side of the end zone before sliding out of bounds.
Refs do no look at still photos when reviewing a call.
It would have been a 20-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning on a third down play to give the Giants a 14-7 lead. Instead, it was ruled an incomplete pass because the ruling on the field was Ballard had landed out of bounds. Lawrence Tynes hit a 38-yard field goal to put the Giants up 10-7.
The initial replays shown by FOX seemed to indicate Ballard was out of bounds when making the diving catch, but a still shot from behind the end zone appears to reveal that Ballard just dragged his right knee in. Coughlin didn’t see that shot when he threw the red replay challenge flag, but he felt it was close enough to contest. After the review, referee Jeff Triplette announced Ballard’s knee had hit out of bounds and Coughlin lost the challenge. Of course, in order for a call on the field to be reversed there has to be irrefutable evidence.
“He’s in,’’ Coughlin said of the picture he saw. “Don’t ask me about that because I really don’t know why. I challenged the Ballard thing, no question about that one. I wasn’t going to not challenge that and have somebody tell me, ‘You know he was in?’”
Coughlin’s second lost challenge came in the third quarter when he contested a seven-yard completion to Donald Driver, directly in front of the Giants sideline. It was a third-and-3 conversion for a first down on the Giants 33-yard line and Coughlin threw the red flag, challenging that Driver got both feet inbounds. Replays indicated he did and Coughlin lost that one as well. Five plays later, the Packers were in the end zone for a 28-17 lead.
Coughlin admitted he didn’t think he would win the challenge but figured it was worth a shot.
“The second one I really shouldn’t have challenged,’’ said Coughlin, who has lost his last four replay challenges. “I’ve been overly aggressive with those calls, not waiting for any kind of advice from upstairs. I’ve done so for a number of reasons. The one on the sideline I was upset, I really was, it was third and three and I thought we had ’em stopped.’’
There were other calls that irked the Giants, including a pass interference penalty on Prince Amukamara and especially an illegal contact call on linebacker Jacquian Williams when Packers tight end Jermichael Finely might have initiated the minimal contact on a play where the Giants sacked Aaron Rodgers.
“Could have definitely let it go,’’ safety Antrel Rolle said. “Could have given us one, you know what I mean? Could have given us one out of the 18.’’