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A confusing judgment call favoring the New York Giants enabled their comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.

Was Giants receiver Victor Cruz really down when he lost the football late in the game? A fumble in that situation likely would have killed the Giants' chances for a comeback.

Who knows, an Arizona victory might have changed the course of NFL history given that the Giants later sneaked into the playoffs with a 9-7 record, then won a Super Bowl title.

Would they have been a postseason team at all without that victory? Tough to tell, and irrelevant now.

But the issue relating to the Cruz play lives on. The NFL apparently had that situation and a few others from NFC West teams' games in mind when identifying officiating points of interest for the 2012 season.

Those points, distributed during the recently concluded NFL owners meetings in West Palm Beach, Fla, covered blows to the head, horse-collar tackles, sportsmanship/taunting, pre-snap movement, player alignment, runners declaring themselves down and deceptive substitutions.

I'll single out a few of them in relation to memorable plays from games involving NFC West teams.

Runners declaring themselves down

Memorable plays: Victor Cruz's non-fumble at Arizona after referee Jerome Boger determined Cruz had given himself up, ending the play. Later in the season, the Seattle Seahawks' Adrian Moten and Michael Robinson sandwiched San Francisco 49ers returner Kyle Williams after Williams went to the ground untouched, then popped up. The league later fined Moten for a late hit. Referee Ron Winter penalized Robinson for a helmet-to-helmet hit, but the absence of an accompanying fine indicated the NFL did not fault Robinson for his behavior on the play.

The issue: Were Cruz and Williams down? When is a runner down, anyway? And if they're obviously down, shouldn't officials blow their whistles?

Point of emphasis, from the NFL: "Rule 7, Section 1, Article 1 states that the ball is dead and the down ended if, among other items, a runner 'declares himself down by falling to the ground, or kneeling, and making no effort to advance.' This sometimes leads to confusion when a runner goes to the ground and is slow to rise to his feet. Has he 'declared himself down,' in which case the covering official should blow his whistle and further defensive contact is prohibited? Or is he merely slow to get to his feet, for whatever reason, in which case a defender needs to touch him to end the down?

"The Committee does not believe that there should be any change in the rule itself, but believes that education of players, coaches, and officials should eliminate any ambiguity. The proper application of the rule, that a runner who goes to the ground untouched will be considered to have declared himself down if he does not make an immediate attempt to advance, will be emphasized to officials prior to the 2012 season."

Pre-snap movement

Memorable plays: Referee Gene Steratore and crew flagged 49ers tight end Justin Peelle for a false start on a fourth-and-1 play against the Washington Redskins. Coach Jim Harbaugh disputed the call. The 49ers periodically used sudden movement by their tight ends, ostensibly to reset the formation. Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton called the tactics "cute" (see final note here) after the 49ers drew the New York Giants offside.

The issue: Were the 49ers simulating a snap or making a legitimate adjustment to their formations?

Point of emphasis, from the NFL: The Committee reviewed video of pre-snap movement by offensive players and agreed that special emphasis should be devoted to acts that are clearly in violation of the existing rule for false starts. Prior to a snap, any quick, abrupt movement by an offensive player, or several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of a play, is a foul.

"These acts include (a) a quarterback in shotgun formation thrusting his hands forward in an exaggerated manner when there is not a simultaneous snap, (b) abrupt movement of the ball by the center, (c) abrupt movement of the center’s head or other body part, and (d) a quick abrupt shift by two or more players in unison. Non-abrupt movement that is part of normal pre-snap action will not be prohibited, including pointing and signaling among offensive players."

Deceptive substitutions

Memorable plays: The 49ers tricked the St. Louis Rams with a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree on a fake field-goal attempt. Crabtree went toward the sideline as if leaving the field, but he stayed on the field and was uncovered near the sideline. The play was deemed legal.

The issue: Undetermined. I do not know whether the following point of emphasis applies to how the 49ers used Crabtree in this example. This one requires more investigation. I'll include the point of emphasis here, then follow up when I have more information. League officials are returning from the meetings Wednesday. Update: This point of emphasis does not affect the 49ers' tactics against St. Louis. That play is still legal.

Point of emphasis, from the NFL: "The Committee addressed the concern that some teams are abusing established substitution rules in a deliberate attempt to confuse opponents. Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(k) of the Playing Rules clearly states that 'using entering substitutes, legally returning players, substitutes on sidelines, or withdrawn players to confuse opponents' is unsportsmanlike conduct. The Committee reminds clubs that this practice has no part in our game, and officials will be instructed to closely watch for violations of the rule.

"The Committee also reviewed the procedures for an offensive player who comes into the game wearing a number that does not qualify him for the position he takes. These players must report to the Referee, prior to entering the huddle. The Referee and Umpire will then report the same to the defensive team. This rule prevails whether a player is already in the game or is an entering substitute and whether it is a play from scrimmage, an attempted field goal, or a try after a touchdown. If a player fails to report his change in eligibility, it will result in a five-yard penalty for illegal substitution."

What we learned from the NFL's decision to fine the Seattle Seahawks' Adrian Moten, but not Michael Robinson, for their hits on San Francisco 49ers return specialist Kyle Williams in Week 16:

• Referee off mark: Ron Winter penalized Robinson for what he described as a helmet-to-helmet hit. The league did not fine Robinson, which means the league did not think helmet-to-helmet contact was a significant issue in relation to this play. This was how I saw the play as well. The issue was hitting Williams late, not with a helmet.
• Why Moten was fined: The league levied a $7,500 fine against Moten for a late hit. Again, there was no mention of helmet-to-helmet contact. The hit was late if Williams had given himself up on the play, which appeared to be the case for several reasons (he was kneeling, he slapped one hand against the ball in frustration, he was not trying to stand up quickly). Moten and Robinson converged on Williams simultaneously. For that reason, I'm not sure why only Moten was fined.

More fine-related stuff in a bit, hopefully.

No play from Week 16 caused more confusion in the NFC West than this one.

San Francisco 49ers rookie Kyle Williams slipped and fell onto his right shoulder during a kickoff return with 6:38 remaining in a 19-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Williams slid and righted himself in one quick motion, winding up on his knees, facing backward.

Two Seahawks players, fullback Michael Robinson and linebacker Adrian Moten, slammed into Williams from opposite sides, knocking loose the ball and leaving Williams with a concussion.

Referee Ron Winter assessed a 15-yard penalty against Seattle, explaining that Robinson had struck Williams with a helmet-to-helmet blow.

I've heard from fans of both teams. Predictably, Seahawks fans tend to think officials erred in penalizing Williams for helmet-to-helmet contact, while 49ers fans tend to feel as though Seattle was taking cheap shots. Those lines of thinking miss the key issues, in my view.

All parties could have handled the situation better, starting with Robinson and Moten.

As noted following the New York Giants-Arizona Cardinals game in October, the rulebook calls for an official to "declare the ball dead and the down ended when a runner is out of bounds, or declares himself down by falling to the ground, or kneeling, and making no effort to advance."

Williams was kneeling and facing his own end zone when Robinson and Moten struck him. He had slammed one hand against the ball, clearly frustrated that his return had ended prematurely. He was no threat at this time.

At this point, the whistle should have blown. If one did, I did not hear it at the stadium or on the Fox broadcast.

But as the rules state, unnecessary roughness includes "running or diving into, or throwing the body against or on a ball carrier who falls or slips to the ground untouched and makes no attempt to advance, before or after the ball is dead."

That is what happened in this case. Yes, Williams was about to get up, but he paused while kneeling and facing his own end zone. He made no move to get up and run. The Seahawks should have tagged him down. There was no need to slam into him with full force.

Winter, the referee, emphasized helmet-to-helmet contact as the reason for the penalty. Replays showed what I would consider to be incidental, even minimal, contact between the helmets. The foul should have been for blasting a player who had slipped to the ground untouched and was making no effort to advance the ball.

Williams could have protected himself better by realizing the whistle had not blown and defenders could be charging toward him, misreading his intentions. But he was not at fault here. If officials were so sure Williams had declared himself down by "falling to the ground, or kneeling, and making no effort to advance the ball," then why no immediate whistle?

Robinson has not shown himself to be a dirty player. This was his first penalty of the season and his third for a personal foul in 86 career games. He and Moten obviously thought Williams was fair game. They wanted to force what would have been a pivotal fumble.

Frequent scuffling marked this game, but no 49ers players rallied to Williams' defense after Robinson and Moten converged on Williams. There were no indications any of them took offense to the hits. There was mostly confusion.

SEATTLE -- Veteran referee Ron Winter gets the call for the San Francisco 49ers' game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.

My periodic efforts to find meaning in officiating stats have led to the following chart. Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information provided the officiating data.

I singled out some of the more regularly called penalties and sorted them for Winter based on where his crew ranks in number of such penalties called this season.

For example, Winter's crews have called 16 penalties for delay of game, most in the league. But his crew has called only two penalties for roughing the passer. That ranks 15th out of 17 crews this season.

Winter ranks relatively low in calls for pass interference and illegal contact. That is something to keep in mind for this game. Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner leads the league in penalties, with many for infractions during coverage.
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The 2011 Official Playing Rules and Casebook of the National Football League devotes 1,127 words to the section on roughing the passer.

Twenty-two words near the end sum up the spirit:

"If in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic on the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer."

That sentence pretty much absolves referees from blame for penalizing acts that seem to be borderline infractions.

We discussed one such penalty against the Arizona Cardinals' Calais Campbell earlier.

Campbell leads the NFC West in roughing-the-passer penalties since 2009 with three. Teammate Clark Haggans, the San Francisco 49ers' Ahmad Brooks, the Seattle Seahawks' Raheem Brock and ex-Seahawk Patrick Kerney have two apiece since then.

Instead of focusing on players, I've put together a chart showing how many roughing calls each of the 17 current referees has called since 2009. Note that Clete Blakeman was not a referee until 2010. Officiating crews change members from time to time, but the referees are the ones responsible for most roughing calls, so these numbers hold up better.

Some referees call more penalties than others overall. Some have surely encountered more instances of roughing than others. But if you're a defensive end eager to mete out some old-school punishment on the opposing quarterback, it wouldn't hurt to know which referee was working the game that day.
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An end-of-season look at where NFL officiating crews rank in a few categories where discretion and controversy tend to apply, listed by referee (with Walt Coleman scheduled to work Seattle's wild-card game Sunday):

The second chart breaks down defensive pass-interference numbers by crew for the last three seasons.

The next chart breaks down offensive pass interference by crew for the 2010 season only.
Note that Coleman's crew has called only one such penalty this season, second-fewest in the league behind Seattle favorite Bill Leavy.

The next chart breaks down the offensive pass-interference calls by crew for the last three seasons.

The final chart shows three-year totals for roughing the passer, by crew.

Seattle fans might remember the controversial roughing penalty against Seahawks defensive end Raheem Brock during the team's defeat at New Orleans in Week 11.

The pivotal play did not draw a fine, tacit admission that referee Mike Carey's crew erred on the call.

Coleman's crews have only four roughing calls over the last three seasons, fewest in the league among referees working continuously since 2008.

Note: All info from ESPN Stats & Information and includes declined penalties.

With apologies to St. Louis Rams fans trying to forget about the costly pass-interference call against safety Oshiomogho Atogwe in Week 10, I'll pass along stats showing interference calls by officiating crew.

Referee Ed Hochuli's crew worked the Rams' game in Week 10. His crews have called the most penalties of any kind over the last three seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. His crews rank tied for the most defensive pass interference calls.

The Rams might have picked the wrong officiating crew to tempt with a close call on interference. They might have had a better chance if, say, John Parry's crew were working their game. Parry's crew was off in Week 10, but it has called 15 defensive pass interference penalties since the 2009 opener, compared to 14 for Hochuli's crew this season alone.

Officials are calling more penalties per game overall and more for defensive pass interference, as the final row of the chart indicates.

The NFL is increasingly concerned with protecting quarterbacks.

Sometimes that concern makes it tough for a defensive player to carry out his job aggressively. Sometimes a borderline roughing-the-passer penalty can influence a game's outcome.

When the St. Louis Rams' Oshiomogho Atogwe and Fred Robbins drew roughing-the-passer penalties during a 16-14 defeat at Oakland in Week 2, the plays wound up factoring into the outcome significantly. The foul against Atogwe sustained a Raiders drive to a field goal. The foul against Robbins, which seemed like a borderline call from the Rams' perspective, allowed Oakland to run out the clock.

What if Robbins in particular had known that the referee that day, Tony Corrente, called far more roughing penalties than some of his peers? Might Robbins have backed off instead of giving Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski a little shove? I'll try to ask Robbins Sunday following the Rams' game against Seattle.

It's entirely possible the referees with more roughing calls witnessed more cases of roughing. It's also reasonable to think referees apply slightly different standards when determining whether to call roughing the passer. Crews associated with Corrente and Ed Hochuli call more non-roughing penalties than other referees, so it's no surprise to see them near the top of the list for roughing, too. Al Riveron ranks tied for first in roughing calls and 10th in non-roughing penalties since 2008.

The chart, put together with information provided by Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information, shows how many roughing-the-passer penalties each referee's crew has called (including declined penalties) over the last three seasons. Note that Clete Blakeman is a first-year referee. The others listed have worked as referees since at least 2008.

Tari writes via Facebook: How would you go about researching which NFL officiating crews throw the most laundry? I am curious for the sake of pure argument, but my buddy wants to know for his fantasy league team.

Mike Sando: I have personally tracked assessed penalties and replay challenges since Mike Holmgren complained about officiating in Super Bowl XL. I also went back through records to include data since 2001. ESPN Stats & Information also tracks this information. My replay information is more detailed because it counts booth challenges, but its referee information is superior because it counts declined penalties, not just accepted ones. Its information also breaks down penalty types by crew.

Based on my records, Ron Winter's crews have assessed more penalties per game since 2003 than those headed by any of the 16 other current referees. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Winter's crew is calling more total penalties per game -- accepted plus declined -- than any other crew in 2009.

Scott Green is working the 49ers-Packers game in Week 11. Ed Hochuli is working the Seahawks-Vikings game. I'll check on the Cardinals-Rams referee once I get to the Edward Jones Dome a little later.

Thoughts and observations following the 49ers' 10-6 victory over the Bears in Week 10:

• The 49ers' failure on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak was predictable and a reflection of their offensive line. Alex Smith is a lanky quarterback. His offensive line has not been dependable. I realize the running game was effective only sporadically and often through deception, but Frank Gore finished with 104 yards rushing. He needed to get the ball in that situation.
• The 49ers averaged 0.8 yards per carry on 10 rushing plays from their base offense featuring fullback Moran Norris. This team's conventional running game has hit a wall. Coordinator Jimmy Raye did a nice job mixing in runs from the shotgun. I also liked the first-down call that sprung Frank Gore for a 14-yard touchdown run. The 49ers used three wide receivers on the play. It was only the sixth time all season the 49ers had handed off from three-receiver personnel on first down. More, please.
• Smith did not appear to be the problem or the solution. At some point, he needs to be the difference in a 49ers victory. He was the difference in this one only by default. Jay Cutler threw five interceptions and Smith did not. It was critical for the 49ers to win a game with Smith at quarterback. Baby steps.
• Few people in the NFL take over a game as completely as referee Ron Winter and crew. If the 49ers hadn't held on to win, more people would be talking about the questionable penalty against Dre Bly' for illegal contact on the Bears' final drive. Bly barely touched Bears receiver Earl Bennett away from the ball. Winter's crew regularly leads the league in penalties. The phantom tripping call against Minnesota at Pittsburgh stands as the signature call by this crew in 2009.
• Veteran 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes, a value signing before the 2008 season, is breaking down physically and I wonder whether he can make it through the season. He turns 33 next month. He could not finish the game Thursday night. This is looking like his final season.
• Tight end Vernon Davis does not seem to be blocking with the same tenacity he showed last season, at least on a consistent basis. I wonder if his shoulder injury is limiting him. If Davis and Delanie Walker do not block well, the 49ers' two-tight end personnel group loses some of its punch on running downs.
• Rookie receiver Michael Crabtree continues to impress. He had four catches for 48 yards and nearly made a spectacular grab in the game. It's time to target him in the red zone.
• The 49ers' defense went without a sack, but do not be fooled. Justin Smith and Manny Lawson each hit Cutler twice.
• Interested in how Raye used his personnel on offense? Download my personnel overview from the game.

Referee Since 2002 Roughing the Passer Penalties Ed Hochuli 68 Terry McAulay 57 Ron Winter 54 Tony Corrente 53 Jeff Triplette 47 Mike Carey 43 Walt Coleman 28 Bill Leavy 18

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- The Cardinals' defense naturally wants to punish Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in their Week 9 matchup at Soldier Field.

A little advice: Make sure those quarterback hits fall within the rules.

Ed Hochuli, the referee assigned to work this game, leads all 17 referees in penalties for roughing the passer this season. He also leads all referees in roughing calls since 2002. The chart breaks down the numbers for all officials who have worked as referees continuously since then.

Hochuli leads the NFL with six roughing calls this season.

The Cardinals' Chike Okeafor led all NFL players in roughing penalties with eight from 2001 through the 2008 season. Safety Adrian Wilson and defensive lineman Darnell Dockett combined for five. Arizona has committed only one such penalty this season, by linebacker Karlos Dansby in Week 7.

Referee 2009 Replay Challenges 2009 Replay Reversals Don Carey 13 6 Al Riveron 11 6 Scott Green 9 5 Walt Coleman 10 4 John Parry 10 4 Mike Carey 9 3 Jerome Boger 7 3 Carl Cheffers 7 3 Gene Steratore 7 3 Terry McAulay 5 3 Ron Winter 16 2 Ed Hochuli 8 2 Jeff Triplette 6 2 Walt Anderson 5 2 Tony Corrente 5 1 Peter Morelli 5 1 Bill Leavy 2 1

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFL officiating director Mike Pereira made no mention during his "Official Review" show of the dubious tripping penalty called against the Vikings in Week 7.

I'll try to pick up the slack.

Referee Ron Winter and his crew are almost never wrong, apparently.

Head coaches and the replay official assigned to Winter have challenged his crew 16 times this season, a league high. Winter has reversed only two of those calls. The other referees have reversed 41.1 percent of calls put under review.

The 17 officiating crews have worked between five and seven games this season. Winter's crew has worked six. His crew has faced 2.7 challenges per game. The other crews have faced 1.4 challenges per game.

Winter's crew is calling 16.8 penalties per game, including declined penalties. Only the crews of Jerome Boger (17.7), Ed Hochuli (17.2) and Walt Coleman (also 16.8) are calling as many. Winter's crew has previously ranked among the most prolific in calling penalties.

The tripping call against the Vikings' Jeff Dugan was one of only 13 tripping penalties called in the NFL this season. The Vikings thought it was a horrible call and I thought it was horrible as well.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Referee 2009 Replay Challenges 2009 Replay Reversals Don Carey 11 6 Al Riveron 10 5 Jerome Boger 7 3 Scott Green 6 3 Gene Steratore 6 3 Terry McAulay 5 3 John Parry 6 2 Carl Cheffers 5 2 Ron Winter 14 1 Mike Carey 6 1 Walt Coleman 5 1 Tony Corrente 4 1 Jeff Triplette 4 1 Ed Hochuli 3 1 Peter Morelli 3 1 Bill Leavy 1 0 Walt Anderson 0 0

joe_cool585 sized up the referee breakdowns from Week 5 and said, "The real question is, how many of each referee's challenged calls have been overturned?"

Easy enough.

Rookie referee Don Carey still holds the league lead for reversals, but the field is gaining on him. Carey suffered two reversals in Week 1, three in Week 2, one in Week 3 and none in Weeks 4 or 5. He is one of eight referees -- there are 17 -- to work each week this season.

Carey, second-year ref Al Riveron and veteran Ron Winter have faced a combined 35 coach- and booth-initiated challenges this season. Veteran Walt Anderson has faced none. Winter's stat line stands out for its unusually low reversal rate. Winter has reversed only one of the league-high 14 challenges he has faced while working only four games. Weird.

I've asked officiating director Mike Pereira about these sorts of disparities in past seasons. He has basically said he doesn't care about the numbers as long as officials are making the correct calls. I like replay stats because reversals document those errors referees acknowledge.

Pereira covered a few controversial plays from Week 5 in his weekly Official Review segment. I thought his explanation for the weird taunting call in the Patriots-Broncos game held up better than expected. It sure looked "fishy" (Pereria's words).

I've been tracking replay stats for years. ESPN Stats & Information also tracks penalty stats by crew. Terry McAulay's crew has flagged offensive linemen only six times this season. The crews of Jerome Boger, Anderson, Winter, Walt Coleman, Ed Hochuli and Scott Green have each called at least 23 penalties against offensive lines. That's an aspect of officiating I'll explore in the coming weeks.

The crews of Coleman and Hochuli have each called 10 penalties for offensive holding against offensive linemen. The crews of McAulay (3), Don Carey (3), Riveron (3) and Peter Morelli (2) have combined to call just 11.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Referee 2009 Coach-Initiated Challenges Per Game Don Carey 8 2.0 Ron Winter 8 2.0 Al Riveron 7 1.8 John Parry 5 1.7 Gene Steratore 4 1.0 Jeff Triplette 3 1.0 Jerome Boger 3 0.8 Mike Carey 3 0.8 Walt Coleman 3 0.8 Scott Green 3 0.8 Carl Cheffers 2 0.7 Terry McAulay 2 0.7 Ed Hochuli 2 0.5 Peter Morelli 1 0.3 Tony Corrente 1 0.3 Bill Leavy 1 0.3 Walt Anderson 0 0.0

The angry coach is a staple of sports with an entire line of Coors Light commercials to prove it.

Someone should market a Coaches Gone Wild video.

Coaches' cardiologists might disagree, but there's something utterly amusing about a grown man spewing steam toward an unsympathetic referee.

With those visuals in mind, I made an initial stab at putting together a referee satisfaction index for this season. The chart shows how many times head coaches have challenged each NFL referee through Week 4.

Challenges are subjective. Most are futile. Some seem to represent emotional, even petty overreactions by teed off coaches. It's interesting to me that coaches issue more wasted challenges during home games, when throwing the red flag can appease the locals, if only temporarily.

The Vikings' Brad Childress, for example, has a 9-8 challenge record on the road and a 5-14 challenge record at home, based on my records. His predecessor, Mike Tice, was even worse (5-7 road, 1-10 home). The Jaguars' Jack Del Rio (8-13 road, 8-20 home), the Titans' Jeff Fisher (7-6 road, 6-13 home) and the Bears' Lovie Smith (11-14 road, 5-17 home) are similarly futile home challenges. Former 49ers coach Mike Nolan (6-4 road, 6-13 home) was another futile home challenger.

Coaches have focused their challenges disproportionately.

Four of 17 NFL referees account for half of the 56 coach-initiated replay challenges through Week 4. Head coaches have challenged three refs -- Don Carey, Ron Winter and Al Riveron -- 23 times already. Carey is a first-year ref. Riveron is a second-year ref. Winter denied four challenges in Week 4, including two raised by the Ravens. Winter's satisfaction rating among the Ravens could use a little restoration.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Referee 2009 Replay Reversals Don Carey 6 Al Riveron 3 Jerome Boger 2 Terry McAulay 2 John Parry 2 Gene Steratore 2 Mike Carey 1 Carl Cheffers 1 Walt Coleman 1 Tony Corrente 1 Scott Green 1 Ed Hochuli 1 Peter Morelli 1 Jeff Triplette 1 Ron Winter 1 Walt Anderson 0 Bill Leavy 0 AVERAGES 1.5

Based on Jim Mora's general postgame comportment Sunday, the Seahawks' coach is probably fortunate no one asked what role officiating played in the game.

Referee Don Carey, who accounted for five of 19 replay reversals through Week 2, made his league-leading sixth reversal a memorable one when he returned possession to the Bears following Matt Forte's fumble at the Seattle 1-yard line. Linebacker David Hawthorne had recovered for the Seahawks, who held a 13-0 lead at the time.

"A decision will be reversed only when the referee has indisputable visual evidence available to him," the rule book states.

This one appeared inconclusive at best.

Mora's postgame rant against kicker Olindo Mare might have read differently had anyone pressed for his thoughts on Carey's reversal. I doubt he would have the ruling, uh, acceptable.

"If you’re a kicker in the National Football League you should make those kicks -- bottom line," Mora said of Mare. "End of story. Period. No excuses. No wind, doesn’t matter. You’ve gotta makes those kicks. Especially in a game like this, where you’re kicking and fighting and scratching your tail off and you miss those kicks, it’s not acceptable. Not acceptable. Absolutely not acceptable."

Carey suffered two reversals -- and Mike Singletary's ire -- while working the 49ers-Cardinals game in Week 1. He suffered three more reversals in Week 2. The NFL's 17 referees have suffered 26 replay reversals in 48 games this season. More than a third involved calls made by Carey, a rookie referee, and second-year ref Al Riveron.