I don't know if the call cost the Jets the game, but it was certainly a call that changed the complexion of the game at the time. It was the worst call I have ever seen in an NFL game - ever.
Why is anyone breaking the play down. The NFL blatantly robbed the Jets on a replay. It's a fix. Period.
Also on the handoff exchange scneario you cited, where the handoff is bobbled, the RB has never had possession, so he wouldn't be fumbling the ball before he ever controlled it. ASJ, however, had control, lost control, and the officials determined that when he never regained control before he was OOB. Therefore they called it a touchback.
He literally states why it's not a fumble in his own sentence. "bobbling a handoff before controlling the ball" How can you fumble what you don't control? If he had the ball and ran 5 yards with it, magically dropped it and recovered, yes, that should be a fumble.
So if the RB fumbles the exchange from the QB, it's not a fumble? Since he never had possession, it can't be a fumble. We can rewrite the whole rulebook while we're at it if you want. They fucked the whole game up anyway, might as well. Bobbling the ball while you're carrying it does not constitute as losing possession. It never has. It's not losing possession until, you know, you actually lose the ball.
I missed the part of the replay where the ref said he "fumbled the ball out of the end zone". That is what he said, isn't it?
While the ball is being bobbled though, you aren't considered in control if you cross the goal line, until you stop bobbling it. I'm done arguing this I think, lol, it's going nowhere. We disagree, and for some reason you've decided to focus on specifics of your made up scenario instead of what actually occurred during the game. Edit: If the exchange is actually fumbled, and the ball hits the ground, technically I believe it should be a fumble on the QB as he is losing possession handing it to the RB, but I'm not sure how it goes down in the books as I've never cared. And keep moving your goal posts.
Because the refs made up a fumble and you're trying to back them on it. So I'm giving you examples of the same thing happening elsewhere during the game that would never be considered a fumble. It never has been. Fumble - lmfao
And if it wants to expand outside the USA, this shows potential new fans just how fixed the NFL is towards its favoured teams. No wondered NCAA Football is becoming more popular!
What strngplyr is missing is that the ball doesn't have to be in the players hands to be considered "possession" it can be pinned against the body and not moving. While the ball did move, even in the still shot posted you cannot conclusively say that ball is not presses against his arm or body (it is not floating in mid air and never was). The biggest proof that this was total BS is that if the referee came on the field and said "the ruling on the filed touch down stands" - NOT ONE PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE WOULD BE COMPLAINING OR ARGUING IT WASN'T
What is getting lost in this is that it was RULED a touchdown. They would need indisputable evidence to overturn that call. There was none...absolutely none. In fact the ball came out of his hands for a microsecond, but nobody can tell he didn't regain complete control once still in the the field of play AND IN THE ENDZONE. The replay definitely did not show that they should overturn the call, which was called a TD. That was a TD. There was a momentary bobble...tell me about the "language of the rule" and then suggest why I should bother watching this crap anymore... The NFL is losing my interest. I would care more before, but I've come to expect crap like this, unfortunately.
I totally believe that was the turning point in the game. If they don't know for sure, they should look at a replay. We would have stretched our lead and probably scored a TD as we were moving the ball pretty easily at that point.
My assumption is that they are saying he hits the pylon without control of the ball and that's why it was called a touchback. Its a huge stretch to make that call in any event because I've yet to see any image that shows he doesn't have control when hitting the pylon and it was ruled a TD on the field. Yes it bobbles before he hits the pylon, but when he hits it? And he definitely has control before hitting the ground.
It's not the rule that bothers me. It the fact that the TD was overturned without indisputable visual evidence. I wouldn't have been as upset if they originally called it a touchback. In that case, they wouldn't have indisputable visual evidence to overturn it to a TD.
