NFL Rule: Possession Until End of Play in End Zone

I remember a Titans inches-and-goal play where McNair (I think) just reached the ball over a pile of defenders, broke the plane and pulled it back in front of the goal line and THAT was considered a TD. I liked the points but tbought that was cheap.
Then last week Wright hits a pylon with the ball on his way through the air out of bounds and THAT's a touchdown even though the end of the play was out of bounds. Given both of those, it would surely seem like yesterday's call was a major fail; yet it was the right call according to the letter of the law.
Very frustrating, for sure.

 

With the way the possession rule seems to change every year, there's not much griping I can do about that call. The calls that bothered me in the game were the non-call when Dez pushed off in the end zone. It wasn't a huge push off but he extended his arms and considering the defenders can literally do nothing anymore the refs have got to call receivers for things like that to balance the playing field. Also the non-pi call against Kendall Wright on the opening drive was big, the defender clearly knocked down Wright's right arm before the ball got there.

 

i said ball can't cause fumble.. herp

i should pay attention to words

 

I said this yesterday, but I think that wearing the number "88" as a Cowboy gives you automatic immunity from any offensive PI calls....

 

That fumble recovery we had before the half was bs too. It was obvious the ball was out while he was still driving with his legs. That led to a TD so if you're a large market team you should expect to get all calls in your favor. That's today's NFL. Nothing more than a unfair money machine. **** the fans. **** the integrity. That should be the NFL's new motto.

 

Here is the difference between the rule and the play, and why the refs got it wrong:

The rule states that the receiver must maintain posession of the ball through the complete process of the catch, and if the receiver goes to ground the receiver must maintain established possession as he completes the process of the catch going to ground without loss of possession. When the receiver is down by contact with possession the play is over and the catch is successfully completed.

That is it in a nutshell with the specifics. Now, I knew this when they play went to review, so I saw it many times and tracked the ball myself. I always am happily unbiased when it comes to ref calls because over the course of a season everyone gets boned by them pretty much as hard as everyone else. Anyway, if you watch the play you'll see that Nate secures and establishes possession before he even goes to ground, and maintains it throughout the process of going to ground. Now, when he goes to ground his knee touches the ground prior to the DB knocking out the ball and having maintained possession throughout the process of the catch. At this point, Nate is down by contact, with possession, and the play is over for a touchdown. Then, the DBs hand makes contact with the ball and rips it out; by rule the player is already down and in possession for a Touchdown. This situation is LITERALLY no different than a ball carrier crossing the plan of the goal line and then a fumble being forced, or a receiver catching it clearly, and a DB catching up shortly thereafter and knocking it out. It's too late, the player is down by contact with possession and it was a touchdown BEFORE it was a loss of possession.

The refs got many calls wrong today. The defensive PI was bull****, the insuing play should have been offensive PI as should the dez TD. The Pollard call was the worst call and I think he should take the liberty to file a grievance or send a letter to the head of officiating because he is being picked on. Runner was not remotely out of bounds when he hit him, he's just playing physical football. Saw those kinds of plays all day in all the other games I watched and none of them drew flags.

It sucks, but I bet there will be a week where another team gets screwed and we're on the winning side.

 

I remember the good ol days when refs were scared to call fouls on the Titans out of fear for their life. Those were the days.

 

I remember last seasons Texans Titans game Andre Johnson made a similar type of catch and McCourty ripped the ball out only for them to label it a completed pass and the receiver down by contact.