Dean Blandino, Asst VP of Officiating, explains what a catch is if you're a Bengals WR

[JoeBoBBY]

Does anyone plan on tweeting this to anyone up at NFL.com or any writers? If not let me know and I'll set up an account.

i wanted to find out if Pittsburgh Gene was indeed the replay official for that game. and I don't do the twitter machines....

i will though.... just so they know its not just a few people. just need to verify some things.

 

[ConstantReboot]

I even watched the second video. The receiver only got two feet down and was stripped and Blandino said it was a fumble because he had two feet down. He also mentioned that you only have to have two feet down and have a football move common to the game.

Dez had three feet down and didn't even bobble the ball and took a leap towards the endzone.

Someone should send this to Jerry. Have him show it to Blandino on why these two plays were complete and Bryant wasn't.

Jerry has rights to sue if he so wish. I hope he does and ask for a 1st rounder as compensation and Blandino's head on a silver platter. That will end the ref's bias against the Cowboys or they will think twice before doing something sneaky like this.

 

[Leadbelly]

I even watched the second video. The receiver only got two feet down and was stripped and Blandino said it was a fumble because he had two feet down. He also mentioned that you only have to have two feet down and have a football move common to the game.

Dez had three feet down and didn't even bobble the ball and took a leap towards the endzone.

Someone should send this to Jerry. Have him show it to Blandino on why these two plays were complete and Bryant wasn't.

Jerry has rights to sue if he so wish. I hope he does and ask for a 1st rounder as compensation and Blandino's head on a silver platter. That will end the ref's bias against the Cowboys or they will think twice before doing something sneaky like this.

You deserve a cookie or something. Read through 7+ pages. Post after post I kept thinking it would dawn on people that it's the second video that's most relevant. The first video barely has a connection to the Dez call. The comments from the original link on Blogging the Boys point it out too.

Basically it's...

Giovanni Bernard: Catch, 2 feet down, turn and immediately stripped = football move
Dez Bryant: Catch, 2 feet down, turn AND 2+ steps AND dive to the end zone = not a football move

Giovanni Bernard: Ruled a fumble on the field and upheld due to not having clear evidence to overturn
Dez Bryant: Ruled a catch on the field but overturned despite not having clear evidence to overturn

Giovanni Bernard: Said Blandino, "Whenever it's questionable, we stay with the ruling on the field."
Dez Bryant: Said Blandino, "Whenever it's questionable, we stay with the ruling on the field...unless it's Dallas."


Little kids go out in the yard with a football and dream of making the kind of catch Dez made. NFL doesn't want that.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerrrrry!

 

[Staubacher]

Here's the thing that tells me it was a football move. Given the call, if the same exact play happened the same way, is there anyway Dez could have "fallen" differently? His hands or arms are roughly parallel. he puts the right down first and then raises the left hand/arm to get extra yards. The call on the field was catch and down. The replay has to show conclusive evidence there was no such move. The slow motion replay really shows the effort. It shows intent to advance. you can really only do that under control (i.e. possession)

Yeah,Dez clearly lunged. Lunging is in itself a move not an involuntary act of falling down. Even Blandino acknowledges the lunge but he spins it as not enough of one. Dez already caught the ball and was attempting to score. It was clear to anyone watching live including the on field referee

 

[sbark]

There's certainly contact there on the legs. Whether it was enough to impede his progress I dont think anyone can say without a doubt.

My take it took away Dez's ability to push off right leg as he was going down, which then cut short his stretch for the endzoen quite a bit also...

 

[Gibby!]

My take it took away Dez's ability to push off right leg as he was going down, which then cut short his stretch for the endzoen quite a bit also...

Yes, but the most damning evidence... watch the tuft of grass come out of the turf as he pushes off with his left foot. He lunged toward the end zone instead of going straight to the ground. If that isn't a football move maybe we should consider a new name for the sport.

 

[sbark]

the NFL replay system moved from "written rule of law" (on field ref judgement is supreme).............to the whim of a remote, faceless person who has time to think of and maybe even be contact by other even more remote faceless persons with a agenda or pr concern.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

Yes, but the most damning evidence... watch the tuft of grass come out of the turf as he pushes off with his left foot. He lunged toward the end zone instead of going straight to the ground. If that isn't a football move maybe we should consider a new name for the sport.

bingo. Ive been saying this repeatedly to everyone who says no catch. "You dont kick up turf like that if you're just falling"

 

[sbark]

It doesn't matter if it impeded his progress. The contact isn't want caused him to go to the ground. He was going to ground even if no one was in the vicinity.

Looking back at it, there's absolutely no way Dez could have caught the ball and stayed on his feet.

happens a lot during virtually all nfl games.........simply have to touch a ball carrier to get "down by contact"......Heck remember last year B.Carter and Wilcox even just failed to touch a downed receiver who fell on his own, and the guy got up an ran it in for a TD........down by contact is any type of contact, just contact

 

[JS22]

Well that was fun to watch.

 

[DogFace]

It doesn't matter if it impeded his progress. The contact isn't want caused him to go to the ground. He was going to ground even if no one was in the vicinity.

Looking back at it, there's absolutely no way Dez could have caught the ball and stayed on his feet.

No. You're not right. Superb athletes can see this easily. Shields leg tripped him. He was leaning far but he wouldn't have fallen. Easy TD.

 

[DogFace]

I don't agree with that at all, he looks to be upright when he lands and the hard trip is what makes him go to the ground

Dez is an incredible athlete, I think he stays on his feet with no contact

You're completly correct and I'm absolutly sure.

 

[khiladi]

Dez was tripped also.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Here is another game he goofed essentially giving the game to the Steelers

That is horrible, ... what a joke.

The Dolphin player comes out of the pile with the football.

 

[burmafrd]

those that know anything about football realize that was a catch. What we have HERE is the same thing as lawyers trying to get a guilty man off on a technicality that has NOTHING to do with guilt and innocence.

 

[Kevinicus]

The second one is very different. He actually has a knee out in front of his torso with his foot planting into the ground. On the top picture, his knees are behind his torso and inches from the ground, with his feet in a position where it's physically impossible to plant flatly into the ground. Thanks again for the proof of my point.

What in the world are you looking at? Knees inches from the ground? Impossible to plant flatly (despite the only foot touching the ground being planted flatly)?

 

[pansophy]

Pretty sickening if you ask me. Obviously Dez starts to fall to the ground after contact or should I say tripping. Even with that he attempts a football move reaching the ball out. There's not enough evidence to over turn Dez Bryant's catch either. Especially to determine a playoff game.

Isn't the difference here that contact was made before two feet hit the ground?? So Dez goes up and grabs the ball, the defender contests the catch BEFORE Dez's feet hit the ground and therefore he must hold onto the ball for the entire process.

Had Dez come down with two feet first and then contact was made this explanation for the Bengals WR would apply. It's pretty clear to me that these are not the same two scenarios. It's the ambiguity of a 'football move' that got us in trouble. If Dez just focuses on catching the ball in that situation instead of trying to score we also are not having this discussion. Everyone knows the Calvin Johnson rule exists and has for years, so I don't think it is expecting too much for guys to know when they can try to do more with the ball versus when they should make sure they have completed the catch.

 

[WV Cowboy]

those that know anything about football realize that was a catch. What we have HERE is the same thing as lawyers trying to get a guilty man off on a technicality that has NOTHING to do with guilt and innocence.

Agreed.

After reading everything and watching everything that I have read and watched since Sunday, .. I have come to the conclusion that anybody that is still saying it was not a completed pass, .. has lost all credibility in my mind, and I have no respect for them as a "football mind."

I have been watching the NFL since the early 60's, .. that has always been a catch, .. a great catch.

 

[WV Cowboy]

If Dez just focuses on catching the ball in that situation instead of trying to score we also are not having this discussion. Everyone knows the Calvin Johnson rule exists and has for years, so I don't think it is expecting too much for guys to know when they can try to do more with the ball versus when they should make sure they have completed the catch.

Foolishness.