5 NFL non-catches that would now be catches
The NFL owners unanimously approved a simplified definition of a catch for the 2018 season, which hopefully can bring an end to a long-running embarrassment for the NFL.
For years, the NFL seemingly had no idea what a catch was, requiring players to survive the ground and leaving a major gray area up to the officiating crew's interpretation.
With the new rules, a catch is a catch when a player has control of the ball, establishes two feet in bounds and makes a football move. The requirement to survive the ground has been tossed. Though there is still potential for confusion (I'm preemptively getting in the emotional state for the "football move" arguments), this is a welcomed change.
Thanks to the new rule, these controversial incompletions would now be catches.
1. Dez Bryant
Did Dez catch it? I always thought he did (because he did). Though the critical overturned completion won't make Cowboys fans feel any better, they can take solace in knowing that it will never happen again.
2. Calvin Johnson
This controversy basically started with Calvin Johnson. The former Lions receiver appeared to have a game-winning touchdown grab in 2010 against the Bears. But officials ruled that Johnson did not maintain possession through the ground.
3. Jesse James
You know it's bad when the NFL calls a play a completion while explaining why it was an incompletion. That was what happened when the Steelers were robbed of a go-ahead touchdown against the Patriots. With the new rule, James' act of lunging for the goal line would be considered a football move and a completed touchdown grab.
4. Adam Thielen
With the "surviving the ground" concept tossed, sweet grabs like this one would finally be catches.
5. Tyler Eifert
Jesse James and Tyler Eifert can certainly relate. Back in 2015, an Eifert touchdown was overturned because he didn't survive the ground upon extending the ball across the goal line.
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