DMN: NFL VP of Officiating: It’s not unreasonable to watch everything Dez did and think

[percyhoward]

BY EITHER RULE IT WAS A CATCH, whether he was a RECEIVER OR RUNNER.

Yes, the ball came loose later, AFTER THE CATCH.

You're right that the ball came loose after the catch, but that's precisely what made Dez a RUNNER -- he'd completed the catch process. If you go back in time and make Dez a RECEIVER, as Blandino did, you get to apply the rule that a RECEIVER going to the ground must maintain control after contacting the ground.

Once Dez had control (which switching the ball to one hand clearly demonstrated), he was no longer a receiver. He'd established himself as a runner. This distinction is important, because it means you can't apply any "receiver's" rule to the play.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Once Dez had control (which switching the ball to one hand clearly demonstrated), he was no longer a receiver. He'd established himself as a runner. This distinction is important, because it means you can't apply any "receiver's" rule to the play.

After the first replay I said "fumble, touchdown" and now 1 minute later Aikman said the exact same thing. In any case, Dez had long stopped making the catch and became a runner and anyone with a lick of common sense knows it.

 

[KJJ]

There were multiple tweets and opinions put out there from PLAYERS, including Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Odell Beckham and the defender on the play) saying it was a catch which includes whatever rule interpretation you which too choose from.

You are asserting with the emphasis of the word FANS that they are low hanging fruit when it comes to discussing the play because of their inherent bias. If so, then you should hold a players opinion in higher esteem, especially from the greatest receiver of all time and a noted Cowboy rival and therefore respect AND accept their opinion --

-- Otherwise you're just cherry picking your favorite opinion.

No one is cherry picking anything you have FANS who continue to claim the ball never touched the ground or came loose despite conclusive video evidence. How ridiculous is that? You don't think there's any bias involved in someone claiming the ball never touched the ground or came loose? LOL Everyone said Dez caught the ball even those involved in making the rules but when a receiver is "going to the ground" they must complete a process of hanging onto the ball through the contact of the ground for it to be a legal catch and Dez clearly did not complete the process. I have yet to hear a current or former player or coach say Dez didn't catch the ball but under the RULE that's in place a receiver "who's going to the ground" has to hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground for it to be a legal catch. That play was one of the most controversial calls in years and the league said the correct call was made under the RULE therefore the RULE isn't going to change.

Many have mentioned Dez's elbow touching the ground before the ball contacted the ground and came loose but it was either Jerry or Stephen who admitted that when a receiver is deemed to be "going to the ground" everything is trumped at that point including an elbow hitting the ground. The process still has to be completed regardless if an elbow touches the ground first. No one likes the RULE but there's no way to change it to eliminate controversial calls. It's difficult to establish when a "catch" is actually made on some plays because they're bang-bang plays so if a receiver is deemed to be "going to the ground" they MUST hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground.

 

[AmericasTeam81]

I'm just not going to be happy until there is total, complete consensus on this matter.

 

[dfan32]

Reaching out the football one handed is not smart. Unless he can palm a football like Shaquil O'Neil does a basketball .
I agree that it was a catch but extending that ball out was not needed .

Yes and I know hindsight is 20/20

I'm sure in Dez mind, he knew he had already established possession and the next thing to do is "break the plane" of the goal line. As soon as the nose of that ball crossed the plane of the goal line, it was a TD. Everything that happened after that is irrelevant.

 

[KJJ]

Watch the slo-mo replay of the Calvin Johnson catch he CLEARLY catches and controls the football but because he was going to the ground he must hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground and he didn't. Johnson's knee touched the ground before the ball did but that went out the window because he was going to the ground therefore he must complete the process. Like it or not it's the RULE and it applies to every receiver in the league.

 

[percyhoward]

After the first replay I said "fumble, touchdown" and now 1 minute later Aikman said the exact same thing. In any case, Dez had long stopped making the catch and became a runner and anyone with a lick of common sense knows it.

You don't take one hand away from a ball you haven't caught yet, and you certainly can't reach the ball toward the goal line if you haven't caught it yet. And I thought the same thing you did at first. Until you see Shield's trip (which was easy to miss, even in the replay from some angles), you would think it should have been a fumble and TD.

 

[nathanlt]

Watch the slo-mo replay of the Calvin Johnson catch he CLEARLY catches and controls the football but because he was going to the ground he must hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground and he didn't. Johnson's knee touched the ground before the ball did but that went out the window because he was going to the ground therefore he must complete the process. Like it or not it's the RULE and it applies to every receiver in the league.

No, the rule is after your elbow or knee hits, if you didn't lose control of the ball as the elbow or knee hit. BY RULE, ITS A CATCH.

 

[KJJ]

You don't take one hand away from a ball you haven't caught yet, and you certainly can't reach the ball toward the goal line if you haven't caught it yet. And I thought the same thing you did at first. Until you see Shield's trip (which was easy to miss, even in the replay from some angles), you would think it should have been a fumble and TD.

Watch the Calvin Johnson play I just posted he took one hand away from the ball because he caught it but he didn't hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground therefore it was a no catch despite his knee touching the ground before the ball did. That's the RULE!

 

[percyhoward]

Reaching out the football one handed is not smart.

Reaching out the football means he's already caught it.

 

[KJJ]

Reaching out the football means he's already caught it.

He was "going to the ground" therefore Dez has to complete the process and hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground.

 

[percyhoward]

Watch the Calvin Johnson play I just posted he took one hand away from the ball because he caught it but he didn't hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground therefore it was a no catch. That's the RULE!

Johnson's in the end zone, where that rule applies. Dez was not.

 

[KJJ]

Johnson's in the end zone, where that rule applies. Dez was not.

It applies the same way when a receiver is "going to the ground."

 

[percyhoward]

He was "going to the ground" therefore Dez has to complete the process and hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground.

That rule doesn't apply to runners (players who have already have possession of the ball).

 

[KJJ]

That rule doesn't apply to runners (players who have already have possession of the ball).

Dez never established himself as a runner because his momentum was taking him to the ground. A receiver stumbling 2 steps forward trying to maintain their footing isn't establishing themselves as a runner.

 

[blindzebra]

No one is cherry picking anything you have FANS who continue to claim the ball never touched the ground or came loose despite conclusive video evidence. How ridiculous is that? You don't think there's any bias involved in someone claiming the ball never touched the ground or came loose? LOL Everyone said Dez caught the ball even those involved in making the rules but when a receiver is "going to the ground" they must complete a process of hanging onto the ball through the contact of the ground for it to be a legal catch and Dez clearly did not complete the process. I have yet to hear a current or former player or coach say Dez didn't catch the ball but under the RULE that's in place a receiver "who's going to the ground" has to hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground for it to be a legal catch. That play was one of the most controversial calls in years and the league said the correct call was made under the RULE therefore the RULE isn't going to change.

Many have mentioned Dez's elbow touching the ground before the ball contacted the ground and came loose but it was either Jerry or Stephen who admitted that when a receiver is deemed to be "going to the ground" everything is trumped at that point including an elbow hitting the ground. The process still has to be completed regardless if an elbow touches the ground first. No one likes the RULE but there's no way to change it to eliminate controversial calls. It's difficult to establish when a "catch" is actually made on some plays because they're bang-bang plays so if a receiver is deemed to be "going to the ground" they MUST hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground.

One more time show us the video where the ball contacts the ground and comes loose. You can't because there isn't one. You have a view where Dez has the ball in his hand and jammed into his bicep and he hits the ground with his forearm under the ball. In this view the ball does touch the ground, but that means nothing in the catch process, because there is no movement of the football from Dez's grasp from this view. The opposite side view shows Dez's left elbow and forearm hitting the ground and the ball squirts loose but you cannot see the ball strike the ground. So once again where is this smoking gun of the ball bouncing off the ground free from Dez's control which would be needed to overturn the call on the field?

 

[blindzebra]

Dez never established himself as a runner because his momentum was taking him to the ground. A receiver stumbling 2 steps forward trying to maintain their footing isn't establishing themselves as a runner.

Show us that in the rule book, will you please?

 

[percyhoward]

It applies the same way when a receiver is "going to the ground."

No. The Johnson rule only applies when the player has no time or no need to perform another act beyond gaining control of the ball with both feet down.

 

[KJJ]

One more time show us the video where the ball contacts the ground and comes loose. quote]

That video has already been posted take off your blinders. You're living up to your username with every post. LOL

 

[nathanlt]

No one is cherry picking anything you have FANS who continue to claim the ball never touched the ground or came loose despite conclusive video evidence. How ridiculous is that? You don't think there's any bias involved in someone claiming the ball never touched the ground or came loose? LOL Everyone said Dez caught the ball even those involved in making the rules but when a receiver is "going to the ground" they must complete a process of hanging onto the ball through the contact of the ground for it to be a legal catch and Dez clearly did not complete the process. I have yet to hear a current or former player or coach say Dez didn't catch the ball but under the RULE that's in place a receiver "who's going to the ground" has to hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground for it to be a legal catch. That play was one of the most controversial calls in years and the league said the correct call was made under the RULE therefore the RULE isn't going to change.

Many have mentioned Dez's elbow touching the ground before the ball contacted the ground and came loose but it was either Jerry or Stephen who admitted that when a receiver is deemed to be "going to the ground" everything is trumped at that point including an elbow hitting the ground. The process still has to be completed regardless if an elbow touches the ground first. No one likes the RULE but there's no way to change it to eliminate controversial calls. It's difficult to establish when a "catch" is actually made on some plays because they're bang-bang plays so if a receiver is deemed to be "going to the ground" they MUST hang onto the ball through the contact of the ground.

Jerry, Stephen, whoever pretends that getting more than an elbow or knee down is IMAGINING THINGS that are not in the rule. NOWHERE IN THE RULES DOES IT MENTION GETTING MORE THAN ONE KNEE OR ELBOW DOWN IS REQUIRED TO MAKE A CATCH.

COMPLETING THE PROCESS OF A CATCH = GETTING ONE ELBOW OR KNEE DOWN.

BY RULE, IT WAS A CATCH.