Refereeing the Referees - NYTimes.com Replacement referees will be under the microscope early this season. The New York Times will monitor games for plays that appear to be incorrectly called. The play: In the fourth quarter, on second-and-1, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick dropped back and threw an incomplete pass while being hit by the Ravens' Haloti Ngata. Despite the ball's having left Vick's hand cleanly, it was ruled a fumble rather than an incomplete pass. Ma'ake Kemoeatu recovered for Baltimore. The dispute: The replay assistant challenged the ruling and it was reversed. The aftermath: On the next play, Vick rushed for a 1-yard touchdown that put the Eagles ahead to stay. While the right call was eventually made, the officiating crew looked almost comically bad.