# NFL Playoffs Division Weekend **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426 "2015-01-09T19:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/61 "2015-01-11T21:25:13Z")
I have a different issue with that call. Even if I accept that he didn’t control it all the way down, the ball never touched the ground. He had his hand underneath it, flipped it up, and caught it in the end zone. It should have been a reversal in Dallas’s favor, for a touchdown. Although, even if that had been called, I think Green Bay would have driven down the field and won anyway. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/62 "2015-01-11T21:29:36Z")
No, the ball _did_ touch the ground, I could see it. He basically pushed the ball into the turf. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/63 "2015-01-11T21:32:06Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > I have a different issue with that call. Even if I accept that he didn’t control it all the way down, the ball never touched the ground. I really think that’s inaccurate. It clearly hit the ground with his hand on the side. Heck, it even bounces up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/64 "2015-01-11T21:32:26Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > No, the ball _did_ touch the ground, I could see it. He basically pushed the ball into the turf. Yeah, I agree, the ball did touch the ground. I thought the worst the call could go was ruling stands, rather than incontrovertibly overturned. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/65 "2015-01-11T21:45:31Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I don’t think “falling down” counts as a football move. Definitely a very close call, but I think I end up agreeing with Mike Perreria that it wasn’t a catch. Could have gone either way, though. He took two steps and a leap for the endzone while “falling down”. But I’m not going to argue with a Packers fan about it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/66 "2015-01-11T21:46:10Z")
It’s a crappy rule, but the receiver should know in that situation that he needs to keep full control of the thing until after he’s down by contact. Instead he took his other hand off of the ball and risked exactly what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/67 "2015-01-11T21:47:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, I agree, the ball did touch the ground. I thought the worst the call could go was ruling stands, rather than incontrovertibly overturned. Well, I watched the video again, and I guess I don’t see this the same as everybody else. Don’t go by the camera from behind Shields. Go by the camera from behind Bryant. Sure looks to me like he has his hand underneath the ball. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/68 "2015-01-11T21:58:39Z")
That was an entirely stupid and retarded call on possession. BUT… as a devout Eagles can, I wholeheartedly thank the referees from the bottom of my beer! WHOO HOO! Go stripes! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/69 "2015-01-11T22:00:42Z")
Ref and Cowboys fan. I don’t like the call on no catch, but I do think it was right. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/70 "2015-01-11T22:18:55Z")
> [@Darth\_Sensitive](#): > > I don’t like the call on no catch, but I do think it was right. It will be interesting to see if, now that it hurt Jerry, the rules committee changes the rule. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/71 "2015-01-11T22:23:29Z")
What rule would you change? He never had full possession of the ball on the way down. It hit the ground with his hand alongside it. It did not bounce out of his hand, it bounced _off the ground_. Do you want to change the rule so that merely having the ball in your hand is a catch? ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/72 "2015-01-11T23:06:13Z")
Looked to me like he had control and then reached out to try to cross the plane of the end zone. However it is the Cowboys, so live by the call, die by the call. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/73 "2015-01-11T23:16:16Z")
Broncos are damn lucky to only be down by four. Manning is overthrowing everything over ten yards, everything under ten yards is being dropped, and the rush is giving Luck not even the least little bit of worry. They better pick it up. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/74 "2015-01-11T23:18:39Z")
Thank the football gods we won’t have to suffer through a Dallas/Seattle championship game. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/75 "2015-01-11T23:20:26Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > What rule would you change? He never had full possession of the ball on the way down. It hit the ground with his hand alongside it. It did not bounce out of his hand, it bounced _off the ground_. Do you want to change the rule so that merely having the ball in your hand is a catch? The rule says the receiver must hold on to the ball during the entire catch while making contact with the ground. They can change that rule so that if the ball never touches the ground and you end up with the ball, it’s complete. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/76 "2015-01-11T23:23:55Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > They can change that rule so that if the ball never touches the ground and you end up with the ball, it’s complete. That is already the rule. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/77 "2015-01-11T23:28:44Z")
If that was a catch, the infamous Calvin Johnson non-catch a few years back was also a catch. It’s a dumb rule, but it was applied correctly by the referee. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/78 "2015-01-11T23:40:48Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > That is already the rule. No, it isn’t, that’s why the call was incomplete catch. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/79 "2015-01-11T23:44:05Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > No, it isn’t, that’s why the call was incomplete catch. It was the ball touching the ground that caused incompletion. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426/80 "2015-01-11T23:48:36Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The rule says the receiver must hold on to the ball during the entire catch while making contact with the ground. They can change that rule so that if the ball never touches the ground and you end up with the ball, it’s complete. The ball did touch the ground, though, that is why the replay official called it incomplete. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs-division-weekend/709426.md?page=5)