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Published on 09/15/2008 at Mon Sep 15 07:04.
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Ed Hochuli Explains

Posted Mon Sep 15th by

Jay Cutler Fumble vs. Chargers
The fumble that was called an incomplete but ruled a fumble. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

San Diego Chargers fans feel they have something to complain about after yesterday’s wild 39-38 Broncos victory. The referee of the game, Ed Hochuli, took the time to explain to the fans exactly what went down as Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler dropped back to pass with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. Take it away, Ed…

Statement on play
“The ruling on the field was that it was an incomplete pass. We went to replay; it should have been ruled fumble. By rule, by the instant replay rules, on that particular play where there’s a pass/fumble, a quarterback pass/fumble the rules do not permit you to give the ball to the other team. All we can do to fix it is put the ball at the spot that it hit the ground, which is why we moved it back to the 10-yard line and the down counts and it becomes third down.”

No change of possession by rule?
“No change of possession, by rule, yes, by rule.”

Is replay the issue in that case?
“Because on replay when we reverse it like that, when we reverse it on a quarterback pass/fumble play your whistle has been blown as soon as the ball comes out, before it’s recovered, so it’s really not even a whistle issue. It’s the rule, that in instant replay, the only thing we can do is put the ball at the spot that it hit the ground and count the down. The rules of instant replay do not permit that you award the ball to the other team.”

All in all, the blown call doesn’t matter. The Chargers were almost gifted a win by the Broncos offense that their defense didn’t earn. The better team won Sunday.

Thanks to the Broncos PR Staff and Jeff Legwold of the Rocky Mountain News.

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  • JG

    San Diego fans don’t feel they have something to complain about, they know they do. Broncos got a free ride (ot at least a free 15 points). What a joke.

  • DaveMoore

    Obviously, because once the whistle blows, the Broncos offense would have stopped playing, so the fumble recovery, if any, would be potentially uncontested. So even though in this case the Charger was the only guy who was gonna get close to it, in other circumstances it could have fallen in between lots of players.

    I understand the call now at least, still a tough break for the Chargers though, I blame Tom Brady’s tuck pass scaring refs. :D

  • Person

    Wow… just for the record. I am a diehard broncos fan, but thats a stupid rule.

  • Boisebroncoguy

    I guess we can consider ourselves lucky because of the quick whistle. I don’t feel bad though. We’ve had enough things go against us that it’s nice to catch a break for once. And it couldn’t have come against a nicer team and quarterback. A quick note to Phyllis: Remember the way you acted the last time we played you, well, what goes around comes around.

  • http://www.chargerscoverage.wordpress.com Jeff Williams

    Following a bad rule doesn’t make it right.

  • BroncoFan18

    It’s a dumb rule, we can all agree on that. But the fact is Hochuli WAS following the rules, so that should be an end to the story.

    THERES NO DOUBT the NFL needs to do something about the rule. They did change the rule to tell the refs to wait to blow the whistle, but then changed it back because too many players were getting injured on plays where the whistle SHOULD have been blown.

    So ya its a dumb rule and I’m sure they will look at it in the offseason, but it’s a rule none-the-less.

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    The whistle shouldn’t have been blown. It is the issue. Hochuli doesn’t explain much to me in this, I just felt it was worthwhile to pass along to you guys.

  • Robread

    scoreboard…just thought I’d pass that along…

  • Barto51

    My feeling is this, Hochuli is human and he made a error in the call. He did all he could for the Charges by making the right call after his error. Do these rules suck? Of course they do, but non the less they are the rules. It’s not the Broncos fault that things went their way in this game, and they should not feel bad for getting a win.

    No body wants to give this Broncos team a chance and everyone is pretty much giving the AFC West to the Chargers. If the Chargers are as good as everyone says they are (I don’t think they are) then they should be able to come back from this 0-2 start. The Giants did it last year.

  • Robert

    So Ed, why don’t you give an explanation on why you blew the whistle in the first place? Do all passes look to you like they are coming out when the QB’s arm is moving backwards, do the passess all look like they are going backwards or do they all look like wounded ducks. You blew the whistle before it even hit the ground. I understand that the NFL has a terrible rule but why did you blow the whistle in the first place???

  • http://bayareashows.today.com/2008/09/15/petition-in-protest-of-nfl-referee-conduct-ed-hochuli-chargers-broncos-september-14-2008/ JR

    hey broncos fans. it’s good to see that some agree it was a stupid rule and a stupid call. go here, to sign a petition reprimanding his conduct sunday:

    http://digg.com/football/Protest_of_Ref_Conduct_Ed_Hochuli_Chargers_Broncos_Sept_14

  • Matt

    Admitting a blown call does not make things right. Hochuli changed the outcome of the game by his blunder. The NFL is bigger than one whistle happy ref. The replay clearly shows a fumble that was ultimately recovered by the defense. Doesn’t matter if the whistle is blown, a live ball is a live ball and the players involved knew it was live.
    If Hochuli is as honorable as the NFL press declares, he should have ruled a change of possession, and disregarded his own whistle.

  • Hoculi Fan

    I love Ed Hoculi. If he isn’t the best NFL referee, then who is? But what a blunder. He had two, count ’em, two chances to get the call right and missed both. If he thought it was a pass, didn’t he see that Cutler released it from the 9-yd line and that the ball traveled backwards to the 10? If it was a pass, it was a backwards pass and a live ball, just as a fumble. Wonder if he couldn’t imagine a mistake of that magnitude and his brain was just not able to see it? Hope the NFL doesn”t sanction him, and if they don’t, his reputation is all that will save him.

  • Jaiu

    Was it a fumble? Yes
    Was it a bad call? Yes
    Were the Chargers screwed? Yes
    Are the Chargers 0-2? Yes
    Are the Broncos 2-0 and #1 in their division? Yes

  • Ed

    Kind of bs on Hochuli part trying to defend himself with the rule book. Why not let the play continue and once possession is determined then call for a replay. If it was a incomplete pass then Denver ball. If Cutler thought it was a incomplete pass then why did he dive for the ball? He could have gotten hurt in the scramble for it.

  • Awesome, Austin

    The only part the ref screwed up on was when he blew the whistle, (which could be very hard to see what he saw from his angle behind and to the side of the QB), the rest of the ruling is 100% right, because if the whistle is blown before any team recovers then you are not going to have some players going after the ball, in turn not making it a fair chance for each team to recover, why is that hard to understand?
    As far as the call early in the game where the replay equip was not working, the replay in my view didn’t show 100% proof to over turn the ruling on the field, let alone any fault of the ref’s since the equip wasn’t working. And lastly just because these calls did not go SD’s way doesn’t mean it would have sealed the deal for them anyway (not that it would have hurt them if they did go there way). Moral of the story for the Chargers, make sure your D plays better overall next game (same with Denver too).

  • BroncoFan18

    Well said Austin.

  • Virgil

    Wish I could have sympathy for Ed’s take on the rule, but the bottom line is that his crew blew it and from my perspective, Ed should consider resigning and leaving the game to more competent individuals. Of course, if he were a more competent attorny, I suspect that he wouldn’t be refereeing NFL games to begin with. I think that says it all.

  • Arthur Salcido, Fort Worth, TX

    The refs are ruining the game. Just like Wall Street financials going down the tubes so will Pro Football.

  • jchase8410

    I don’t understand, why are the chargers fans even complaining. If you are a true football fan, and understood the rules of the game, there is nothing to bitch about. Every game has missed calls…holding penalties that go unpunished on crucial 3rd down conversions…interference calls that don’t actually happen…get my point. Blaming the Chargers loss on 1 singular bad call(the champ Bailey int wasn’t even challengeable) is absolutely ridiculous. Great teams step up and make big plays, even when adversity hits. If the chargers are as good as everyone says, they would have made a big play to stop the touchdown on 4th and goal. They wouldn’t have been burned on the exact same play for the 2 point conversion. Understand the rules, Try being a ref for just 1 game at any level, then complain. oh, and get over it already, the NFL isn’t going to give you a win no matter how much you bitch about it

  • Awesome, Austin

    Great points jchase.

  • the DOC

    Does anyone remember the horrible call 2 years ago when Vincent Jackson flipped the ball down field in the Raiders game. That should have been called a fumble, not an illegal forward pass. This would have given the Raiders the ball and with the momentum they had most likely scored and beat the Chargers, thus changing the standings in the AFC West. There will always be calls in the NFL, and all sports for that matter that will be looked at as questionable or bad calls. If (god forbid) I was a charger fan I would probably be upset. Rather than complaining about something that didn’t go their way and calling the loss purely the fault of the Referees I think I would be asking questions as to why my defense was dismantled by Jay Cuttler and what needs to be done to avoid this happening again on December 28th.

  • James

    Who do you think would usually win if the refs were to spot the home team two red zone possessions?

    BRONCOS LOST THE GAME…but the refs won it for them! Plain and simple.

    If there was any honor in this game REAL sportsman would admit it and take the loss. But money and the NFL don’t breed sportsmanship.

  • http://www.georgesatthecove.com howard

    C’mon guys. The problem wasn’t the rule. The problem was Hochuli’s call. Worse, if you look at the replay, he doesn’t make any call-he just stands around and watches-until it was clear that a Charger would recover. Only then did he blow the whistle. To me, it looked like he called the play more on result than the play itself. And that goes beyond a mere mistake.

  • FU Hochuli

    The Tuck rule states that you can pump the ball once and you’ve now become immune to any fumble calls even if you fumble later. Obviously a stupid rule. This wasn’t even similar to the Tuck rule because Cutler didn’t have the ball in his hands even if he was just going to pump it. Hochuli’s excuse is stupid because it had EVERYTHING to do with the whistle. What? Does that mean now that a QB can have the ball come loose before he cocks his arm and then later cock his arm throwing air and no matter what, the ball stays with the QB’s team? Even if the whistle WASN’T blown until the fumble was recovered by the other team and downed? Sorry, Hochuli should be barred from officiating any post season games. Obviously, he’s getting too old for this and post season games could do without knee jerk reactions from a visiually impaired ref. The best thing would have been for him to just let the play play out and THEN have the replay reverse the call if it warranted it.

  • E

    DOC, That was the Chargers-Patriots playoff game in January 2007 when Vincent Jackson “threw” the infamous “illegal forward pass.” And as a Charger fan, I’ll say that was a ridiculous call that should have been a turnover. So was yesterday’s. Even if the Chargers weren’t in top form, they should still be entitled to competent officiating, just like every other team in the NFL.

    Broncos fans should especially understand, looking at Hochuli’s record:

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=sando_mike&id=3462384

  • Jerome Lepari

    I don’t know how from his vantage point, how he calls it an incomplete pass. It landed 2 yards behind Cutler. If bronco fans were on the recieving end of this debacle they would be furious also. The point is, I believe the Bronco fans would enjoy well officiated games just as much as anyone. I look forward to future games between these talented quarterbacks (by and large the most entertaining game of the week) and their teams. But lets just get the calls right or whats the point? That or risk being compared to the nba or the wwf.

  • David Briggs

    Here’s the preening, arrogant, incompetent’s email address:
    ehochuli@jshfirm.com

  • Awesome, Austin

    Jerome, if you look at the play the ref was whistling it dead while the ball was in the air, so in the fraction of sec he had to make the call and he blew it dead so where it landed was pointless. And to all the chargers fans, the refs screwed one call period there was no 15 pt give away because SD still had the ability to stop the Broncos, and your team blew all the other chances (like a 100) it had to make a single play during that game to win it.

  • David Briggs

    I’m not a fan of either team. I’m a Cowboys fan and even I was pizzed at that call. But then… that was just one of many he’s made

  • A-Denver Native

    Here’s the thing…we can all agree that it was a bad call. But the Chargers had 2 chances to win the game. A stop on 4th down or the 2 point conversion would have still handed the game to the Chargers. For all you Charger fans that think the game was stolen from you is kind of pathetic in my opinion. Neither defense played well, it was a shoot out from the start. Bad calls yes…but the Charger defense had 2 chances to stop 2 plays that created the win. To win the game on Cutlers fumbler would have been a win, but heck it was Cutlers fault. It wasn’t like the Chargers D knocked the ball out of his hand or anything like that…it would have been a gifted win, not an earned win. The call was in error, but the Broncos earned the win with 2 plays…4th and goal and a 2 point conversion…you had your chances and blew it. Tuff break…on to next week!

  • SilverExl

    But the thing is, the broncos didn’t earn it. I’m going to try to be very objective on this. The play on the chargers first drive was not a good call to say the least, defense was horrible but offense and special teams were great in the second half, So great they took back an 18 point deficit and even got the lead. Broncos defense wasn’t so great either so we got a shootout, both offense were clicking and the one mistake Cutler had was in the most crucial part of the game, that mistake should have cost the broncos the game but because of Hochuli’s own mistake it didn’t.

  • JoeBates123@msn.com

    The Officials should start being fined just like the players. The Officials get paid enough money and plays a big role in the games just like the players do. Hochuli should be fined.

  • http://aol Unbiased NFL fan

    I think it’s ridiculous that some fans are saying that the Chargers still had a chance to keep the Broncos out of the endzone on 4th down and then prevent the 2pt conversion. What you’re not taking into consideration is that a correct call would have prevented the Broncos from getting even one more offensive play. It would have been kneel down time. I watched a fantastic game and am not a fan of either team. I was rooting for the Broncos because of past embarrassments to the Chargers. This call ruined a great game and gave it to a team that didn’t deserve it, whether they dominated earlier or even outplayed the Chargers. If the Broncos went from being tied in the division to being two games back based on one play, you as a fan would be screaming and have the right to do so. This could mean the difference of the Chargers making the playoffs at the end of the year. While I would cheer for that normally, in this case it would be a travesty.

  • Jack Anderson

    Ed Hochuli is one of the best refs in the nfl. so he made a mistake he is human. Take a look at the Colts-Viking game Gene Steratone missed a TD that never made it acroos the goal line a Colt with his hand in the face mask of a Viking lineman A completed pass to Gonzales that hit the ground. Pass interfence twice by the colts. Maybe Steratone would have seen some of these calls if didn’t stop to help Manning up didn’t see him help Petersen up and he hit the ground a lot. Ed livied up to his mistake. Thats a man worth be a ref in sport. Keep up the Great Work !!!!!!!!1

  • A-Denver Native

    Your right Unbiased NFL Fan…the Broncos shouldn’t have gotten one more play…they got 2 and the Chargers still couldn’t stop them. Many games are decided on mistakes, that’s what seperates the good from the great. The problem here is the Chargers were not GREAT enough to stop the Broncos TWICE. If they had played it as typical, scored the touch down and kicked the extra point to force overtime, this conversation and controvery wouldn’t have near the hype. Shanahan gave the chargers 2 chances to redem Hochuli’s error. They failed and now “the call” will go down in history. Do I think the Bronco’s should have lost…yes…do I think the Chargers and fans are a bunch of babies…an even louder YES.

    2 Chances to win the game, 2 failed attempts…nuff said!

  • http://merlinofchaos.livejournal.com E. Halsey Miles

    I have only one thing to say about this:

    That fumble was Jay Cutler, untouched. It was nothing the Chargers did. If he had come up and knocked the ball out of his hand that’d be one thing, but no. This one was 100% on Cutler, it was rookie mistake.

    You really want to cry about not winning because the ref made a blown call on a rookie mistake? Okay, fine. I’m not going to tell Charger’s fans to shut up. I’d be pretty sick if we lost in a similar situation, but I do not, for one second, believe the talk about the better team having lost. But I’d not be at all thrilled with my team if the only reason we won was because Phillip Rivers slipped on the proverbial banana peel.

    Go on, complain about it. I would, but when you complain, think about that pit in your stomach that your “true” victory only came because Cutler got the dropsies, not because your defense actually did anything to deserve getting the ball.

    As it is, I sure hope Cutler doesn’t make another mistake like THAT again.

  • http://www.scottsdaleforeclosures.com Tom Anderson

    What bothers me most about the call is this. Hochuli was right there. He yhad a perfect view of the play. He watched the fumble bounce towards the sideline. He didn’t start waving his arms until the Charger player was feet away from recovering the fumble. Combine this with the technical error earlier in the game and things don’t smell right to me. The Suns/Spurs/Mike Donaghie series is still fresh in my mind. Someone better check his cell phone log.

  • Awesome, Austin

    You are retarded Tom Anderson. How can you honestly say that you think that the ref could think that on this big of play he would call it wrong in order to “save the broncos”. If what you say is true then why did they call the questionable SD touchdown catch a catch? Why did the broncos have as many penalty calls against them at all….Main cry babies, the better team won anyway.

  • http://thesportsaffiliate.com thesportsaffiliate

    I dont think there is foul play by Hochuli. Yes the spread was +0 in that game. But I would have to think that. The Chargers had one more chance to win when Shannahan went for the 2 point conversion.

  • http://www.stokes-analysis.com jay (SD fan)

    Mixture of thoughtful comments and “you guys suck” comments.

    I am at a loss why people are dismissing Hochuli being on the take. I doubt Ed has any personal affinity for the Broncos, but if he had a financial interest in them winning, that would explain some behavior.

    It is all about the whistle. I re-watched the replays several times in slow-motion and in normal speed (to listen for the whistle). As people have described, he did not signal incomplete pass until the second bounce, just before it was recovered. Based on what I could hear from the whistle, that is when he blew the whistle also.

    He clearly did not motion until just before the recovery. That makes me wonder. Also, he was standing just 5 yards behind Cutler (he was at the 15, Cutler the 10), and the ball flew 1 yard backward. He was staring at the whole play. This seems like the equivalent of a baseball ump calling a ball hit down the line that was 4-5 feet fair, landing in clear view of everyone and then calling it foul. Oops?

    Then you layer in the fact that it was under two minutes, so he would have known everything goes under review, so if there is any question, you let it play. If it is a forward pass, it will be picked up. It defies explanation.

    In terms on my team vs. your team stuff. That was an evenly fought game, with incredible offense and/or horrible defense on both sides. Random fumbles are part of the players playing. Bad calls are part of the game, but this one was so blatantly bad, it is hard to accept that other factors were not at play. If it was a genuine error on his part, I feel bad for him. He should feel the consequences, but I feel bad. But I cannot believe there was not something more.

    As a random point, when Donaghie got busted, Hochuli was vocal in his reprimand of him, which kind of makes me think it could be that intense denial because he is also cheating.

    Of course, if any of this leads to Ted Cottrell being shown the door quickly, then it may be worth it.

    And how you guys keep digging up crazy-good receivers kind of out of nowhere is beyond me. I hope Cutler gets some sophomore slump going soon, otherwise my Bolts will be looking for the wildcard, at best. They got enough issues without Ed and his mob-bankers sticking it to them as well.

  • http://none@none.com LB

    it is funny that only a small portion of denver fans are defending ED, and most agree with the rest of the world. It also is evident that all un-biased, non SD and non Denver fans think that the bad call was a complete rip off. So, all you Denver fans that are too prideful to admit that the Chargers are a way better team, get real! I am thinking that Shanahan paid off ED because he was too ashamed to get owned by the Chargers Again! When he said you have to do anything you can to win a game, does that anything also mean illegal pay offs? Is this just shy of a Tonya Harding type incedent? Either way Denver Fans, We’ll see you at the end of the Season and Justice will prevail!!

  • http://www.twcsd.com RickWG

    The call was wrong, he admitted it in front of millions. He stood up and took the blame like a man does. I’m sure if he could have fixed it he would have but the NFL rules prevented it. Now he has to go out in front of millions again next week and have all of his calls scrutinized by every sportscaster and sports fan in the country.
    Could you do that?

    A man admits his mistakes and takes the consequences and he did that. I respect him for that.

    The first incident wasn’t his fault. Dead issue.

    Give the man a break, when was the last time you stood up in front of millions of testosterone maddened fans and did what he did?
    I’m from San Diego by the way.

  • A-Denver Native

    I’m in no way defending the call, it’s obvious that the call was in error. The rules fall short of fixing a bad call when posession is on the line. I’m sure there will be a rule change to effect any blunders in the future. Now, calling for Ed’s resignation, or sanctioning is just being a sore loser. He has been a quality ref for years. He has taken the hit in the ref scoring system, apologized and admits he feels terrible.

    Bottem line is that the Broncos will face the Chargers again on December 28th and we will then see what these 2 teams are made of. As for the Chargers being a better team, honestly I think they are about even. Both offenses played well, both defenses played poorly, I think the next matchup will be very interesting. It will be the last regular season game for both teams so by then we should really know who is the better team.

  • Bill

    Let’s not assassinate the character of a good man who made an honest mistake. Ed is the best in the business, period. He is professional and honest. He is also not the first ref to blow a game with a bad call, but amazingly in 20 years I think it is his first.

  • T. Butler

    Thanks, Briggs, for posting Hochuli’s e-mail address, which I was able to Google. I just sent him a note telling him that we remain his fans, and that he’s earned and deserves our affection. People need to have some perspective: NO BABIES DIED. It’s JUST a game.

    People make mistakes, and Ed Hochuli’s got integrity.

    I’m just sorry, as a former waitress at the TGI Friday’s in San Diego, that the Broncos won. People think Raiders fans are the worst? Oh, no, no. The Bronco fans were collectively the rudest bunch of people I’ve ever dreaded in my life. I know Denver is a fabulous city, but there must be something about donning orange clothing that turns people into thugs. Maybe some of the present company here is excepted, but I’m reporting as someone who suffered on multiple occasions from the frightful orange shirts.

    I admit to conflicting feelings about San Diego now, because Jay Cutler is an utterly classless jerk. Luckily, I am not monogamous with my Football Love, and I have a number of teams I like to watch. But the only time I’ll root for Denver is when they’re playing Peyton “Whiny Baby” and the Dolts. Sorry, the orange scarred me for life.

    Go, Hochuli!

  • Ronald Muschetto

    1. Many might have forgotten this is just a GAME.
    2. Nobody is a bigger SD Chargers fan than I.
    3. SD surrendered an insurmountable 34 first downs.
    4. SD rushing game was non-existent. (LT’s abyssmal 26 yds)
    5. DEN won the clock by about 8 minutes (34 – 26)
    6. SD allowed an unacceptable 36 completions.
    7. Any NFL team that surrenders 39 pts should not expect to win the game.
    8. SD never led in the game until less than 5 min to play.

    Rarely is any game, incl NFL, decided by one bad call.

  • Robert

    OK Ed, so you made a mistake. It happens. Football isn’t life it is recreation and although it will affect San Diego’s standings it didn’t hurt anyone. Keep your head up. You are still one of the best referee’s in the league. It is just one incident in the life of a man.

  • http://www.tsn.ca Nik Lashley

    People Relax. Hes a good Ref. He has made thousands of right calls. Being a ref is the hardest job in sports. they are not computers. They make a mistake once in a while. And yes those mistakes have ramifications. He feels bad and I know he will be a much better ref in the season to come because of it.

  • Bunches McGuinty

    One thing I notice…everyone can be a replay king and after minutes or hours figuring out just what was wrong with the call. But I have o ask…do any of you ever make mistakes? Sure seems like the critics believe they are perfect. But Hochuli made a mistake. It was a crappy shoulda/coulda/woulda mistake but its done. AND HE OWNED UP TO IT. Perhaps a few rules will be changed and the game will improve because of it. Yeah, he messed up, but he is still a bigger man than most of you because he can ADMIT IT.

    As for the “should have won” line…PLEASE. If either team was so freakin’ great…the score wouldn’t have been close enough for the call to matter one way or nother. Lets just see what happens when they meet again, and go from there. So guys, GROW UP and MOVE ON. More football tomorrow night!

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