Rewatching the game, looking strictly to the penalties...
On the initial neutral zone infraction on Baltimore's first FG....it's not that the center lifts his head...it's that he raises his shoulders up too. That's absolutely a false start penalty and no wonder the Pats' DL (it was like 5 guys) all moved. The Pats got hosed on that call and it cost them four points.
The Butler neutral zone infraction that wasn't. Holy crap was this an awful call. He *flinched*. He didn't move forward. He didn't go anywhere near the neutral zone. He flinched. Then the left guard false started. What Butler did was 100% legal. But the refs got it 100% wrong. That gave Baltimore a first down on a drive that would end up resulting in a touchdown.
The intentional grounding penalty. It was 2nd and 5 from the Baltimore 33, 8:07 left in the half. A couple of items. First, Jimmy Smith chucks Dorsett 8 yards downfield. Yes, he's allowed to hold his ground, but he's not allowed to chuck the receiver. The announcers initially said, "That should at least be illegal contact." But second, it was an option route by Dorsett. Brady threw the ball *before Dorsett made his break*. Brady read "outside" and Dorsett read "inside". By the time the ball landed, Dorsett was 15 yards away. But I get the rule, but how can that be intentional grounding when it's an option route and Brady and Dorsett simply have different reads on the play? It's a lunatic way of reading the rule. The only QB I've ever seen get penalized for that kind of thing is Brady and it happens regularly with him and it's infuriating.
McCourty's illegal hands to the face. 3rd and 7, Jackson is looking right the whole way, throws incomplete, not even close. A very brief contact with the receiver's face mask - no grab, no push, just a quick swipe across - is enough for the refs to throw the flag. First down, Ravens. Ugh. Letter of the law probably a correct call but that kind of contact happens ALL the time without a flag.
The illegal pick play. 4 yards downfield, reminiscent of the KC pick play that didn't get called in last year's AFCCG. Helped them convert a key 4th and 4, when it should have been 4th and 14 and Baltimore punting, giving the Pats, who had momentum at that point, the ball back. When it's that obvious, that far downfield....egregious missed call, led to a touchdown.
The Pats played terribly in many ways last night. This isn't to say they played really well. But these were all calls that ended up with a significant impact on the game. So frustrating.