Football Outsiders just tweeted something legendary

[DecrypticShadow]

This sort of hugging/defending/interference/whatever you want to call it away from the ball happens almost every time on the last heave of the game... Anyone who knows anything about the rules of the game have publicly stated that the play was legal... *Case Closed*

[ladypanther]

Soooooooo that means we can't get mad when this happens to us, right?

   

Rivera said it already has.

[panthers55]

We can call out all the whiners as much as we like. But that doesn't address the actual play. It was textbook holding, and they should have had one, untimed down 5 yards closer to the endzone. We can't bitch if we get fuged on a ref's call later in the season or perhaps the playoffs. That said, I think we still win.

If you read the rulebook it can't be defensive holding so no it wasn't textbook holding.  Holding is called on running plays or when the quarterback is still holding the ball.  Contact must occur before the ball is in the air. Once the ball is in the air it has to be pass interference.  And that is called as long as the ball is catchable.  Where have you been all day while this has been discussed ad nauseum.  

[jtnc]

[firstdayfan]

We could but we would also be wrong

 

Love that you worded it that way, completely agree.  It's hard to be rational when your team loses that way.  Patriots fans are annoying but they have a right to be angry.  What's stupid is that they are still leading their division by two games while we are down one game.  If New England played in the NFC South, West, or North I doubt their division championships would be so easy to come by.