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Even with Week 3 games nearly upon us, many of us in the NFC North are still exchanging pleasantries about a series of Week 2 officiating calls. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com has a nice review of a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty against Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop, and I'll take another look at two other calls that piqued my interest.

The first: An end zone pass ruled incomplete during the Packers' 30-23 victory over the Carolina Panthers. I'm guessing you've seen the play.

The Packers were facing third down from the Panthers' 19-yard line with 10 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers lofted a high pass down the left sideline to tight end Jermichael Finley, who had lined up as an outside receiver. At about the 2-yard line, Finley jumped in front of Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. Finley got two hands on the ball, tucked it in his right arm and braced for impact with the ground.

The photograph accompanying this post shows Finley had possession with two feet in the end zone. But a moment later, the ball squirted free when his right arm hit the ground. Referee Alberto Riveron ruled the play incomplete, and Packers place-kicker Mason Crosby booted a 37-yard field goal on the next play without a challenge from coach Mike McCarthy.

As we Black and Bluers learned in Week 1 last season, the call was correct based on a rule the NFL considered changing during the offseason but ultimately left intact. It's the same rule that forced officials to call an apparent touchdown catch by the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson incomplete against the Chicago Bears.

A reminder of how the rule is worded, straight from the NFL's official 2011 rulebook: "It is a catch if in the process of attempting to catch the ball, a player secures control of the ball prior to the ball touching the ground and that control is maintained after the ball has touched the ground."

The Johnson play generated controversy because he lost "possession" by intentionally placing the ball on the ground after what he thought was a legal catch. Hence, our education on the "process" of securing possession.

The Finley play was more straightforward. He unintentionally lost possession when his right arm touched the ground. During his weekly radio show at ESPN 540, Rodgers said: "It's an incompletion by the rules." But he also added that the rule "is a little bit ridiculous."

I agree. My view on this play remains the same as it was last year. It makes sense to me, at least, for the NFL to acknowledge the fact that possession standards in the end zone should be different than they are in the field of play.

If a running back carries the ball into the end zone, it's a touchdown no matter what happens thereafter. If a defender knocks the ball out of his hands after it crosses the plane, it's still a touchdown. So why are the standards higher for a receiver on a pass play? Once the receiver establishes possession, as Finley clearly did based on the photograph, why isn't the play over at that point? Why does he have the additional burden of maintaining possession until the end of an arbitrarily-determined process? Beats me.

Meanwhile, the second play came in the fourth quarter of the Minnesota Vikings' 24-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Referee Jeff Triplette's crew called Vikings defensive end Jared Allen for roughing the passer with six minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the game. The play added 15 yards to a 19-yard pass and put the Buccaneers in position for the first of two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

When you watch the replay, you see Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman scramble to the right sideline and fire a pass to receiver Dezmon Briscoe. A moment after release, Allen hit Freeman in the chest with his right shoulder. In announcing the call, Triplette said Allen "turned and lowered his shoulder into the quarterback."

"That's a new one," Allen said after the game. For what it's worth, I couldn't find anything in the rule book that specifically addresses a defensive player lowering his shoulder into a quarterback. There are references to hitting a quarterback's helmet or neck, to clubbing his arm and to driving him into the ground at the end of a hit, but nothing that addresses the use of a shoulder in any way.

The closest applicable language was this:

"A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as 'stuffing' a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (1) above. When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down and land on top of him with all or most of the defender's weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up or cradle the passer with the defensive player's arms."

Allen didn't stuff Freeman or wrestle him to the ground, but those are only examples of the NFL's definition. Officials have some discretion to determine what an "intimidating and punishing" act is. In this case, Triplett ruled that Allen intentionally lowered his shoulder in an attempt to elevate the force he hit Freeman with. It was a subjective judgment call that apparently doesn't have to be spelled out in the rulebook.

On to our updated penalty tracker:

You saw it just like I did. In their first game since the NFL mandated the 35-yard line for kickoffs, the Chicago Bears twice kicked off from their 30-yard line in Saturday's preseason opener. Referee Jeff Triplette allowed it twice until Carl Johnson, the NFL's vice president of officiating, put a stop to it via a phone call to the Soldier Field press box.

So what gives? Why did the Bears add 5 yards to their kickoff coverage territory? And why were they initially allowed to do it? Was it a matter of strategy or confusion?

The answer appears to be both.

At the start of the Bears' locally-produced broadcast, announcers Sam Rosen and Erik Kramer -- presumably reflecting the team's position -- said the rule gives each NFL team an option to mark the ball as high as the 35-yard line. The Bears, Rosen said, had chosen not to take that option. In fact, coach Lovie Smith later told reporters that he wanted to see his coverage teams cover a kick that was more likely to be returned.

Smith: "We know [place-kicker] Robbie Gould. We can put it on the 35, and he can kick it out each time."

One problem: The rule was not intended to provide a choice. Its intent was not to limit kickoff returns but to improve safety on kickoffs. Only a deeply interpretative analysis of the rule's wording would suggest otherwise. Here is how Rule 6, Section 1, Article 2(a) is written in the 2011 NFL rule book: "The restraining line for the kicking team shall be its 35-yard line for a kickoff and its 20-yard line for a safety kick."

I guess you could define "restraining line" as the furthest possible point a team can kick off, and infer that a team could line up further back even though it would seem to create a better chance for a return. Otherwise, I'm not sure why Triplette allowed it, and Johnson's call made clear he shouldn't have.

To be fair, I can see where the Bears were coming from. Generally speaking, kickoffs at the 35-yard line should increase the likelihood of touchbacks and/or short returns. But based on what Gould told the Chicago Tribune, the Bears aren't convinced that touchbacks will rule the day when the weather turns colder.

"By moving it to the 35," Gould told the Tribune, "they think there are going to be more touchbacks and there may be in warm-weather places but not in Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh. There are going to be plenty of places where you're not going to get touchbacks."

On a warm night like Saturday, Gould's kickoffs were likely to carry deep into the end zone. But if touchbacks do indeed diminish later in the season, the Bears ostensibly wanted to practice their coverage schemes in the preseason.

Let's not be completely naive here. The Bears opposed the rule change in March because it will diminish the annual field-position advantage they get from their strong return game. So let's not completely rule out the possibility of gamesmanship and/or that the Bears were making a one-time passive protest to the rule change.

Two people could reasonably argue whether a kickoff from the 35-yard line, combined with a 5-yard limit on head starts for cover men, will actually improve safety. But when a rule is changed for safety reasons, there is no leeway.

It's worth noting that Bears defensive end Corey Wootton was lost for four weeks because of a knee injury on the opening kickoff. I doubt whether the extra 5 yards contributed to the injury. But unless I'm missing something here, the Bears won't get another opportunity to "test" their coverage teams unless they take a delay of game penalty and Triplette shouldn't have allowed this one.

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.

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who admittedly has taken some unorthodox approaches to throwing the red flag in his career, has nailed all three of his challenges in the past two weeks. But the circumstances of the most recent instance support our discussions on spot challenges and the role of coaches in officiating.

First, the details. There were 6 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Sunday’s game when New York Jets punter Steve Weatherford took off on what was later revealed to be a self-initiated fake punt. The line of scrimmage was the Jets’ 20-yard line, so Weatherford needed 18 yards to gain a first down.

Weatherford stumbled as Packers safety Anthony Smith tried to upend him near the right sideline. He ultimately fell with the ball marked at the 39-yard line, enough for a first down. But even watching live, it seemed clear to me that Weatherford’s left foot had touched the sideline far earlier. Replays quickly confirmed it wasn’t even close.

It was an obvious missed call by referee Jeff Triplette’s crew, and McCarthy’s challenge got it reversed. Good move by McCarthy, but for me, it was more evidence for why the NFL is wrong to burden coaches with oversight of officials during games.

I would welcome disagreements, but I thought the Weatherford call was just as egregious as the two Percy Harvin touchdowns that ultimately were reversed Oct. 24 at Lambeau Field. One came when referee Scott Green’s crew missed Harvin stepping out of bounds a full yard before running into the end zone. The other was a booth review of Harvin’s one-foot dance at the back of the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

Viewed together, those calls represent a systemic issue that can’t be solved by two (and occasionally three) coach-initiated challenges per game. The challenge system was created in part to add a level of strategy to the game, but if we’re at a point where officials are missing what seem to be routine and obvious calls, there needs to be another way of rectifying them -- one that is independent of any strategy. Coaches shouldn’t have to decide whether it’s worth losing a timeout, or future challenges of less obvious calls, to get it right.

We discussed other options last week, including more liberal use of booth replays and even the NHL’s system of having a centrally located official monitoring replays of games from the league office. Whatever the answer, it seems counterintuitive for coaches to weigh a costs for getting reasonably called games.

Now, on to our updated Challenge Tracker:

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.

	AP Photo/Tom Strattman
	Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell’s challenge on Texans’ running back Ryan Moats’ fumble out of the end zone was a crucial decision in the Colts win.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

INDIANAPOLIS -- The timing was exquisite. The execution flawless. The thinking airtight.

Yet another Peyton Manning pass play? Nope. Jim Caldwell’s toss of his red challenge flag late in the first half.

Waiting until just before the first play after the two-minute warning to challenge, Caldwell understood the beneficial timing and outfoxed his Houston counterparts with a slow play.

Week 9 Coverage • Kuharsky: Caldwell not challenged • Walker: Bengals are no joke • Yasinskas: Hargove plays through pain • Seifert: Bears at a loss • Sando: Cardinals hot and cold • Wojciechowski: Joke's on the Bears • Mosley: Defense carries Cowboys • Graham: Patriots pull away • Reiss: Patriots tame Wildcat • Clayton: Last Call • Pasquarelli: Rivers best for a night • MNF: On the same path | MN HQ • NFL Nation: Reactions | Wrap-ups | Live

His challenge and referee Jeff Triplette’s determination that Ryan Moats fumbled out of the end zone from the Indianapolis 1-yard line resulted in a touchback. They were pivotal moments in the Colts’ 20-17 win that kept their record spotless and kept Houston (5-4) from doing any dreaming about a scenario where it can challenge for the division title.

“That play turned out to be a perfect play for those guys, not so good for us,” said downtrodden cornerback Dunta Robinson, whose team is now 0-8 in Indy. “A lot of guys on the sideline were saying, ‘Run another play, run another play.’ Obviously our staff didn’t think it was a fumble. Those are things you’re not too sure about. I think it could have gone either way. We’re at their house, and that play went their way.”

For so much of the Manning and Bill Polian era, things have gone the Colts’ way. Good teams make their own good fortune, we hear time and time again on NFL Sundays. And here was a prime example that actually had nothing to do with the team’s stud quarterback or supremely gifted architect.

The Texans turned to Moats to minimize Steve Slaton’s opportunities to fumble and got the same result at a crucial moment.

Colts assistant offensive line coach Pete Metzelaars got a close look at the play which commenced with 2:30 on the clock and believed it could be judged differently upon review. Caldwell casually chatted with officials but ultimately waited until the two-minute break was over and the Texans were starting to line up for second-and-goal at the 1 before dropping the flag and officially getting the crew’s attention.

The Colts' coach didn’t get it all right. He thought Jerraud Powers had re-established himself in bounds and recovered the ball. But the piece of his interpretation that was wrong didn’t hurt him, while it was a different story on the other sideline.

Gary Kubiak and his people saw no cause for alarm. They could have called for Matt Schaub to run another play before the warning, either washing away the Colts’ chance to challenge or forcing Caldwell into a quicker decision than he would have liked, when he might have hesitated risking a timeout.

“We didn’t even know until the play had been stopped and it got to the two-minute warning that there was even an issue,” Kubiak said. “Then somebody in the press box said, ‘I think they’re looking at the ball right here.' We thought that Ryan was out of bounds. But the way it was explained to me was that the ball did come out, nobody argued that.

“We felt that players were out of bounds that were touching the ball. And what they said was that Ryan was on top of whoever that player was, so technically he’s not out of bounds, he’s still in the field of play.”

Now as we consider how the challenge unfolded we should note Caldwell and his staff had the luxury of time; Kubiak and his assistants did not.

After the play was over, there might have been 10 seconds until the tw0-minute warning stopped the clock. Is it reasonable to expect communication and decisiveness on such a hard-to-read situation in those 10 seconds, to expect Kubiak to know that the urgings of Robinson and others were not typical player hopefulness but an accurate read and to tell Schaub to run a play? Probably not.

But against the Colts, oftentimes things pan out that way: you get 10 seconds when they get 155. And if you don’t have the insight to make the quick interpretation in a less-than-advantageous situation, well tough luck, it all sorts out the way it so often does: in Indianapolis’ favor.

Antoine Bethea, the safety who jarred the ball free, said he knew it was a fumble and told the officials, but not Caldwell.

Players are always going to think things in a debatable situation went their way. But Bethea had a much clearer read on the situation than did Moats, and that ability to understand what did happen and what didn’t in the flash of an NFL-speed play is the sort of thing that helps make the Colts consistently good and leaves others striving to match them.

"I didn’t know it was an issue,” Moats said. “I thought I was out of bounds."

Not exactly Bill Bradley’s famous “A Sense of Where You Are.”

And developments that may well have changed the outcome of the game.

“Momentum was going their way, they were moving the ball on us and we had kind of stuttered a little bit on offense,” Indianapolis guard Ryan Lilja said. “Our defense got some big turnovers, that one included. I don’t know if that was the defining moment of the game, but that was huge. That’s seven points for them. That makes it a whole different ball game. We lucked out on that one. That’s the bottom line, we lucked out.”

Nice of him to say. But it was a whole lot more than that.

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.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

SAN FRANCISCO -- The media flip card at Candlestick Park features a name familiar to Seahawks fans: Bill Leavy.

The veteran referee is working a Seahawks game for the first time since Mike Holmgren complained bitterly about calls that went against Seattle during the team's loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL after the 2005 season.

This appears to be part of an NFL trend discussed here after Week 1.

For years, the league appeared to shield referees from working games involving teams that suffered from controversial calls, even when those calls were correct.

Walt Coleman still hasn't worked a Raiders game since invoking the tuck rule during the Patriots' playoff victory over Oakland on Jan. 19, 2002. Before last season, Ed Hochuli hadn't worked a Broncos game since Oct. 8, 2000. Before last week, referee Jeff Triplette hadn't worked an Eagles game since Oct. 23, 2001. Those games featured high-profile officiating decisions that worked against the teams involved.

Leavy's crew called controversial penalties against Darrell Jackson, Sean Locklear and Matt Hasselbeck during Super Bowl XL.

"We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers," coach Mike Holmgren told fans during a postgame rally. "I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well."

Holmgren's departure from the Seahawks after last season might have cleared the way for this unwanted reunion. I have a hard time envisioning the league assigning Leavy to a game featuring Holmgren as one of the coaches.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Referee 2008 Games Worked Booth- initiated Challenges Gene Steratore 14 11 Ron Winter 14 11 Tony Corrente 13 10 Ed Hochuli 14 8 Peter Morelli 13 5 Walt Anderson 12 5 Jerome Boger 13 4 Terry McAulay 13 4 Walt Coleman 14 3 Scott Green 13 3 Jeff Triplette 13 2 Bill Leavy 13 2 John Parry 13 2 Al Riveron 14 2 Carl Cheffers 13 1 Bill Carollo 13 1 Mike Carey 11 1 AVERAGES 13.1 4.4

Replay officials have challenged rulings more frequently since the last time we pointed out wide disparities in replay rates during the final 2 minutes of halves.

Four referees hadn't faced a single booth-initiated challenge through Week 13. Those four referees have faced five such challenges in the last two weeks.

The challenge Walt Coleman faced in Baltimore was only the third raised against him this season in the final 2 minutes of a half, according to information I have tracked since 2003. Referees Gene Steratore, Ron Winter, Tony Corrente and Ed Hochuli have faced a combined 40 such challenges.

The NFL assigns the same replay officials to the same referees as part of an overall effort to foster continuity among crews.

If replay officials applied the same standards each game, we might expect referees to face a similar number of booth-initiated challenges over time.

That was not the case in past seasons and it isn't the case in 2008. The inconsistent numbers raise the possibility of inconsistent standards for challenges. 

The chart shows booth-initiated challenges by referee. NFL games featured 33 total challenges in Week 15, a season high even without the Monday night game. Total challenges have risen each week since Week 12 (from 19 to 25 to 27 to 33).

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Referee Penalties Assessed Per Game Replay Challenges Replay Reversals Jeff Triplette 15.3 10 3 Ron Winter 15.1 10 3 Jerome Boger 14.7 3 0 Walt Anderson 13.3 11 3 Tony Corrente 13.0 9 4 Bill Carollo 13.0 5 3 Ed Hochuli 12.7 10 4 John Parry 12.7 6 0 Bill Leavy 12.0 6 4 Peter Morelli 11.7 9 5 Terry McAulay 11.1 7 2 Al Riveron 10.9 5 2 Mike Carey 10.6 4 1 Gene Steratore 10.3 11 3 Carl Cheffers 10.2 6 3 Scott Green 10.1 8 5 Walt Coleman 9.4 4 1 AVERAGES 12.1 7.3 2.7

Scott Green's crew assessed zero penalties against the Patriots. Al Riveron's crew assessed one penalty against the Browns.

Those figures helped bring down the overall numbers for Week 8, despite the Rams' protests.

The chart breaks down crews by referee, penalties assessed per game, replay challenges and replay reversals.

The number of replay challenges per game increased every season from 2003 to 2007, but the numbers are down to their lowest levels since 2004 this season. Fewer challenges mean fewer interruptions, generally a good thing in my view.

John Parry and Jerome Boger remained the only referees without a replay reversal this season. Peter Morelli joined Green with a league-high five reversals after initially disallowing a Chiefs touchdown pass against the Jets.

Available for download: full crew-by-crew breakdowns for penalties and replay.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Referee Penalties Assessed Per Game Replay Challenges Replay Reversals Jeff Triplette 16.2 9 2 Ron Winter 15.3 10 3 Jerome Boger 15.0 3 0 Walt Anderson 13.2 10 3 Ed Hochuli 12.7 10 4 Bill Carollo 12.7 3 2 Peter Morelli 12.4 7 3 John Parry 12.3 6 0 Bill Leavy 12.0 6 4 Tony Corrente 11.8 6 2 Al Riveron 11.4 5 2 Terry McAulay 11.3 7 2 Mike Carey 11.0 4 1 Scott Green 10.3 8 5 Carl Cheffers 10.2 6 3 Gene Steratore 10.0 10 2 Walt Coleman 9.3 3 1 AVERAGES 12.2 6.6 2.3

NFL officiating crews have assessed between 9.3 and 16.2 penalties per game this season. The range was between 8.9 and 14.3 last season.

The chart breaks down crews by referee, penalties assessed per game, replay challenges and replay reversals.

John Parry and Jerome Boger remained the only referees without a replay reversal this season. Parry shot down Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, who had been 4-0 in challenges this season.

Ron Winter, working the Colts-Packers game, became the fifth referee to suffer two reversals in a game this season. He reversed Indy touchdowns on consecutive plays, but the Colts scored on the third try.

Scott Green, working the Seahawks-Bucs game, suffered his league-high fifth reversal of the season when Mike Holmgren challenged Ike Hilliard's fumble.

Assessed penalties have climbed over the last three weeks. The crews of Walt Anderson (49ers-Giants), Boger (Jets-Raiders) and Winter (Colts-Packers) each assessed more than 20 penalties during Week 7, the first time this season three crews have reached that total.

Referee Penalties Assessed Per Game Replay Challenges Replay Reversals Jeff Triplette 17.4 7 2 Ron Winter 14.2 8 1 Peter Morelli 14.0 5 3 Jerome Boger 13.8 3 0 Ed Hochuli 13.7 9 4 Bill Carollo 13.4 2 2 John Parry 12.2 5 0 Tony Corrente 11.8 6 2 Terry McAulay 11.8 6 2 Bill Leavy 11.8 6 4 Scott Green 11.4 7 4 Al Riveron 11.2 4 1 Mike Carey 11.0 4 1 Walt Anderson 11.0 9 2 Carl Cheffers 9.6 5 2 Walt Coleman 9.3 3 1 Gene Steratore 9.0 10 2 AVERAGES 12.1 5.8 1.9

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFL officiating crews have assessed between nine and 17.4 penalties per game this season. The range was between 8.9 and 14.3 last season.

The chart breaks down crews by referee, penalties assessed per game, replay challenges and replay reversals.

NFC West teams have lamented several influential calls already this season. A few:

• In Week 1, Gene Steratore's crew flagged 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald for roughing the passer on a third-and-9 play. The disputed penalty helped the Cardinals sustain a third-quarter touchdown drive as they extended a 13-10 lead to 20-10.
• In Week 2, Jerome Boger's crew flagged Seahawks safety Deon Grant for pass interference, negating an interception in the end zone. Replays revealed the call as dubious. The 49ers scored a touchdown shortly thereafter.
  
• In Week 7, Peter Morelli's crew ruled Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo down, negating a lost fumble. The call appeared unwarranted.
  

Referees and their crews make the right calls hundreds of times each season. That buys them little relief when calls go wrong. Ed Hochuli knows this better than most.

I'm keeping a log of questionable calls involving NFC West teams this season. The three listed above stood out. If you have others, let me know. Thanks in advance.