There has been allot of talk and controversy about the Dez Bryant play during yesterdays game. Offense and defense aside and no pressure on Aaron Rogers, there was another play that also had a bearing on the outcome of the game. Let be state, I am OLD SCOOL AFC - The Pittsburgh Steelers Ruyale fan. With under one minute in the first half, the refs called a completed pass for the Green Bay Packers where, even the NFL replay offical in NY said that should have been called an incompleted pass because the ball clearly hit the ground and skipped into the recievers hands. The result of this was the continuation of the drive leading to a Green Bay Field goal and 3 points. The Dez Bryant play occurred at the 5 yard line. Dez leaps over the defender, both players, with their backs to the goal line making a play on the ball. Upon grasping the ball at the 5 yard line, Dez turns 180 degrees and makes 3 steps, ball clearly in his hands and controlled. At the 2 yard line, he leaps toward the end zone and his forearm as the first thing to touch the ground, ball still clearly controlled. It was then, his forward and downward momentum, that caused the ball to touch the ground and jar loose, which he regained control of in the end zone. At the point his forearm contacted the ground, with the defender touching him, he was down by contact under league definition of down by contact. The picture below clearly shows that because the defender assisted him in going to the ground. Now, several years ago, the NFL stated that it is a completed catch if the ball is caught by the receiver and the reciever turns and makes a football move. How can a 180 degree turn and moving forwared 5 yards not be considered a football move. Clearly, there is no definition as to what a football move is. This would have placed the ball at about the 1/2 yard line and would have at least netted Dallas a field goal. Those two plays would be a 6 point swing in the score and would have made the final score 24-23 for the Cowboys. Fair Is Fair. Consistency is crucial. Owners need to demand of the league that all reviewed be done by the league office in NY and not by the officals on the field. bleacherreport/articles/2326591-dez-bryant-non-catch-proves-nfl-must-make-big-rule-changes-this-offseason
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:28:01 +0000