01-04-2020, 06:24 AM
Hours after Dallas was defeated in Green Bay, the player at the centre of that games most memorable sequence spoke for millions of other football followers than just the Cowboys and their frustrated fans.We lost and I accept it, wide receiver Dez Bryant tweeted, but please change that rule.His leaping 31-yard reception on fourth down landed at the 1 in the waning minutes, but the call was overturned by a Packers challenge and Green Bay took a 26-21 victory to the NFC championship game.Dallas had many other opportunities to win and the rule was widely deemed to be interpreted correctly, so the latest NFL controversy wasnt about a team getting a raw deal from the refs.Rather, this was the conundrum: a spectacular catch that passed the eye test for most people watching, but failed to satisfy the leagues complex rule book. The spotlight Sunday fell on Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1:If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.The biggest beef raised by Bryant and the Cowboys was that the ball only came loose when it hit the ground near the pylon. He had full possession as he took his stumbling steps toward the goal line, but because by definition he was considered to still be falling then that didnt count toward completion of the catch.The rule was put in place to make such calls easier for officials on the field. The leagues vice-president of officiating, Dean Blandino, said Sunday that Bryants football move of stretching his arm toward the goal line was not obvious enough.If we make this a catch, then where do we draw the line with a lot of other plays where its clearly incomplete by rule? Blandino said on the NFL Network. It can be become even more inconsistent.Since this happened at such a pivotal point of such an important game, strict parameters will likely stay in first place on the publics list of gripes for a while. There are worthy competitors for the most rued rule, though:— Excessive celebration.New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Grahams signature crossbar slam dunk in the back of the end zone was the most recent creative act to land on the no-no list. Entertainment is what pulls so many millions of people into these games each Sunday during the season, and the NFLs various attempts to limit on-field flamboyance following touchdowns or even sacks have triggered many a complaint. The derisive No Fun League nickname rose out of this eye-rolling exasperation decades ago.— Defensive pass interference.The NCAAs punishment is 15 yards, but the NFL puts the ball at the spot of the foul, even if that happens to be inches from the end zone after a 40 or 50-yard penalty. Without replay reviews allowed in these cases and much contention about whats allowable for down-field contact and whats not, the pass interference flag is perhaps the most debated in the sport. So theres no worse feeling for the offending team, or its fans, to see the opponent get first and goal with disagreement with the call in the first place.— Tackling.Everyone is for player safety, of course, and the frightening amount of post-career health problems in this violent game have prompted the league to tighten standards for pressuring the quarterback, bringing down the ball carrier and covering the receiver.With the crackdown on hard hits, especially those to and with the head, has come confusion from defensive players in recent years about what theyre allowed to do to keep the offence from beating them. Slowing by a half-step in this ultra-fast sport to make sure a tackle or a hit is legal will inevitably lead to a whiff and a long gain.There are always contrarians to the consensus, of course.NFL analyst Cris Carter, the Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver, said Monday on ESPN radio that hes a strong proponent of the process-of-catch rule.It really helps clear it up, Carter said. Hand the ball to the referee.Rules that might have outlived their usefulness or become unnecessarily unwieldy to most were once installed for legitimate reasons.In 2010, a few weeks after a controversial incompletion that went against Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions, a similar non-catch to Bryants, NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay acknowledged the difficulty of the rule.It was made for on-field officials, McKay said, not as much for people watching on TV.___AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Quinton Howden Jersey .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. Panthers Jerseys 2020 . Gonzalez participated in his final game on Sunday, Atlantas 21-20 defeat at the hands of the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, having posted four catches for 46 yards. https://www.panthersjerseycheap.com/1068...thers.html . "I wasnt waving the pom-poms to be involved with it to start with," Carlyle said after a 5-2 win over Carolina on Sunday night. "Its been a trying time. "Specifically we havent played as well as wed like to hang our hat on. Joe Nieuwendyk Jersey . Interestingly, the culprits were not rookies, but well paid, experienced pros. The first gaffe came in the 24th minute of arguably the biggest early season MLS game in history between Seattle and Toronto. Sounder newcomer Marco Pappa, (with over 100 MLS games, and 39 Guatemalan Caps to his name) attempted a back pass to one of his central defenders. Igor Larionov Jersey . The attacking midfielder arrives on a free transfer from Spains Malaga. The 28-year-old joins Scottish striker Kenny Miller and Argentine midfielder Matias Laba as designated players on the Whitecaps roster.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Rysheed Jordan and DAngelo Harrison each delivered big scoring efforts to lead 24th-ranked St. Johns to a 74-53 rout of Fordham at Madison Square Garden. Jordan finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Harrison went 8-of-11 from the field in a 22-point effort, with the duo producing the majority of the Red Storms offensive output. St. Johns (8-1), which entered this weeks Top 25 for the first time since 2011, has won four straight since a narrow loss to No. 9 Gonzaga on Nov. 28. Eric Paschall paced Fordham (3-5) with 14 points, with Christian Sengfelder and Mandell Thomas each netting 11 in the loss. The Red Storm trailed 19-13 nearing the midway mark of the first half following an 11-4 Fordham run, but held the Rams scoreless for nearly four minutes while putting up 11 straight points to grab a 24-19 lead with 7:55 to go in the opening period. Jordan had eight points during the surge. Fordham keppt it close as the break drew closer, moving within 30-28 on a Paschall dunk with under three minutes left in the half.ddddddddddddSt. Johns finished out the frame on 9-0 flurry, however, to take an 11-point lead into the intermission. A 15-0 sequence early in the second half enabled St. Johns to pull away. Harrison deposited seven points during the spurt, with his successful jumper with 11:28 remaining staking the Red Storm to a comfortable 59-35 advantage. St. Johns maintained a lead of at least 21 points the rest of the way. Game Notes The game was part of the annual MSG Holiday Festival doubleheader, with Rutgers defeating Manhattan in the opener. St. Johns improved to 71-38 all- time in the event ... The Red Storm scored 28 points off 20 Fordham turnovers ... St. Johns has won the last four meetings between the New York City-based schools and is 27-3 in home games against the Rams. ' ' '