The Calvin Johnson Rule Does Not Apply

[The Quest for Six]

The ruling on the field was that the process of the catch had been completed. That ruling was essentially reversed, and this is now the central question.

Dez had control, got both feet down, and advanced the ball. IOW, what he did satisfied the NFL's requirements for a catch.

try taking the time and read and comprehend the ruling by the NFL....now if you can't understand that, I can't help you, IT"S CRYSTAL CLEAR!!

 

[tideh20heel]

Whether Dez caught the ball in play, on the sidelines or in the end zone, he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of the catch when he goes to the ground, clearly he did not, the ball came lose when he hit the ground, so therefore it would be an incomplete pass regardless where he caught it on the field...it was the correct call, I hate the rule, always have, but it's the rule....

Which he did. Attempting to advance the ball made him a runner. That and the fact he was actually running

 

[JD_KaPow]

Well, I would say it is a fumble because the ball had been caught and advanced. But with the ruling today, it looks like it could be called an incomplete pass.

The one thing it absolutely could not be was a fumble. His elbow hit before the ball came out. If it was a catch, he was down by contact. If it was incomplete, it was incomplete.

 

[JD_KaPow]

try taking the time and read and comprehend the ruling by the NFL....now if you can't understand that, I can't help you, IT"S CRYSTAL CLEAR!!

Yes, it is crystal clear. It explains your misunderstanding precisely.

 

[TheCount]

But if he went down easily....and we failed to score....people would have said that he should have fought harder. I've seen it happen that way many times, he would be damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

This should be a moot point, we should have had the ball at about the 2 after he fought to get it there. No one could have said anything if it was called correctly.

You've watched the team just like I have all season. I like their chances to score with 4 downs from the 2 yard line.

I don't know what idiotic Cowboy fan would be saying Dez didn't do enough if he gets that catch and doesn't get in the endzone. That's crazy.

He didn't get in the endzone anyway and everyone was going nuts.

 

[Clove]

All of this is moot if Dez just secures the ball and makes sure he's got the first down on a 4th down play. He had no business reaching out, the 1st down was way more important than the TD in that scenario.

I think the one that stumps me is, if a receiver reaches for a catch on the sideline, gets two toes in and then has it slip out on the way out of bounds... what is that? Incomplete?

Agree with this and Dez is by far my favorite player, but I'll throw anyone under the bus, and I'm throwing Dez under right now. Just catch the dang ball first, then whatever happens after that is great. But on the argument side, he probably thought he had it.

 

[The Quest for Six]

Yes, it is crystal clear. It explains your misunderstanding precisely.

try reading it for yourself...it's really not that hard to understand

 

[pastordug]

It all seemed to hinge on if it was a "catch" or was he still in the "process of the catch." What I found funny was that the GB Coach. Rogers and those NFL Officials speaking AFTERWARDS caught themselves saying that when Dez "caught" the ball or when Dez made the "catch" and had to change what they said with "well it wasn't a catch. Really? It was. We got ##)%*^)$

 

[Jenky]

try taking the time and read and comprehend the ruling by the NFL....now if you can't understand that, I can't help you, IT"S CRYSTAL CLEAR!!

All that's saying is Steratore never saw a football move which negates the whole process to the ground effect. I'm not sure this really helps your cause.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Agree with this and Dez is by far my favorite player, but I'll throw anyone under the bus, and I'm throwing Dez under right now. Just catch the dang ball first, then whatever happens after that is great. But on the argument side, he probably thought he had it.

Everybody thought he had it including those who won't admit it.

 

[viman96]

falling towards the end zone off balance isn't a football move...

He was not just falling towards the endzone. He made a football move by digging in his left foot into the field for leverage to leap for a TD.

 

[Everson24]

There's no doubt that the ball hits the ground. Can't argue that point.

The ruling on the field was of a completed pass by the official closest to the play. The ball hitting the ground and subsequent movement was of no consequence.

During the review they had to have decided to change their idea of whether he made a football move or not.

If he is judged to have made a "football move" then he becomes a runner and the ground cannot cause a fumble. That seemed to have been the initial ruling on the field. So was what was overturned was whether he made a "football move" or not?

If the question was whether Dez made a "football move" by switching the ball to his left hand, taking 3 steps, lunging toward the endzone, reaching the ball forward with his left hand, and having 2 knees and 2 elbows touch the ground BEFORE the ball hits the ground, is that good enough or did they decide that all of that was just part of the process of falling down? Is a "football move" part of the rule? I'm probably wrong anyway

Since when can a replay ref overturn a judgement call anyway? I always thought they had to have conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the field. The ref right on the play on the field felt that he did indeed make a football move an then a potentially biased replay ref in NY thinks he didn't, how then is it overturned if it's his judgement against the on field ref's judgement? Doesn't there have to be conclusive evidence? What am I missing here?

 

[percyhoward]

try taking the time and read and comprehend the ruling by the NFL....now if you can't understand that, I can't help you, IT"S CRYSTAL CLEAR!!

What's difficult to understand about this? They clearly said he never completed the process of the catch, and that he "continued to fall." There is no mention that he "secured the ball, got both feet down, switched hands with the ball, was tackled, lunged for the goal line and extended the ball," even though all of that happened too, and all of that constitutes a catch, at least according to Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3 of the NFL rule book.

 

[JD_KaPow]

try reading it for yourself...it's really not that hard to understand

I've read it. Several times. And I can't comprehend why we're having this argument, They concluded that he never made "an act common to the game." Thus, they concluded that he had not established possession before hitting the ground. He clearly did make a move "common to the game". That's the debate.

If they were simply arguing that he was "going to the ground", then they never would have referenced "an act common to the game." Why? Because the subrule on going to the ground does not involve "acts common to the game." At all. They were clearly looking to see if he had established possession, using the three criteria in the main rule. And they botched it.

 

[BourbonBalz]

What's clear is the NFL is either ignoring their own rules or are completely incompetent. They're basically saying Dez did not make a football move to complete the process of the catch! So, attempting to advance the ball into the end zone to score a TD isn't a football move??? That's what all of this crap said. Damn, I thought that was one of the two primary goals of football, the other being defense. Who knew.

 

[Jenky]

Packers broadcast crew said the Dez Bryant play wouldn't be overturned.

Looks like they were shocked too..

 

[Ken]

Yes, it is crystal clear. It explains your misunderstanding precisely.

Crystal clear that they use selective angles when reviewing this play where there is no diffinitive view other than speculative and the Cobb play where you can clearly see the ball hit the ground from the back and it is ruled a catch. I wonder why they didn't ask him about that call?

 

[tideh20heel]

You are completely missing my point. I didn't say anything about Dez turning off his competitiveness. That catch is beastly whether he scores on it or not.

If he is trying to score you are acknowledging that it is a catch because that act is a football move and defined as such in your sacred rule book. Along with a lot of other crap that is bad for the game.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Some of you on here are just too dense to discuss this with

 

[BourbonBalz]

The league is becoming a joke and losing fans for a lot of reasons. Crap like this is part of those reasons.