On the Redskins' final drive of Sunday's 17-16 loss to Tampa Bay, there was considerable confusion with the crew that is in charge of stats about the down and distance as the Redskins approached the goal line. On first-and-10 from the 12, did Anthony Armstrong gain nine yards - leaving second and 1? Or did he pick up 10, and get a first down? Pool reporter John Keim of The Washington Examiner was sent to the officials' room afterward and got this explanation from head referee Pete Morelli:
"The first pass that was made, the initial ruling was first down to the 2-1/2 yard line, and the auxiliary box on the other side did not turn over. It was showing second down. The primary box on the head linesman side, which is the main down box, had first down. So we corrected the 2 because it hung up there for a while, and we corrected it to 1."
The confusion, then, wasn't with the players or coaches, it was with the viewing audience.
"The first pass that was made, the initial ruling was first down to the 2-1/2 yard line, and the auxiliary box on the other side did not turn over. It was showing second down. The primary box on the head linesman side, which is the main down box, had first down. So we corrected the 2 because it hung up there for a while, and we corrected it to 1."
The confusion, then, wasn't with the players or coaches, it was with the viewing audience.
