DEN@KC: Stepover 1

None of the three ATDs of Week 13 are especially awful, yet they reveal how players exploit the break-the-plane rule to make scoring touchdowns easier and nullify good defensive effort that keeps them from contacting the end zone. It’s a smart move by the runners, a tough reality for the defenders.

Here Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes steps over the corner of the end zone without making in-bounds contact with the scoring area, essentially using the sidelines as an extra-wide end zone — all because he was able to tote the ball over some portion of the end zone’s airspace. In our view, it’s not a very convincing score.  Hocus Bogus rating: 3

AZ@CHI: Stepover 2

Same deal as the Mahomes run. Arizona’s Kyler Murray scrambles toward the right pylon, plants his left foot in front of the goal line, and then lands his right foot on the sidelines. The break-the-plane rule grants him an extra-wide end zone. We believe a runner should be required to make first contact with the end zone that is fully inbounds. Rating: 3

DAL@NO: Stepover 3

The Saints’ Lil’Jordan Humphrey sticks his left foot in front of the goal line, but can’t get his right down in the end zone due to the hustle of Dallas safety Damontae Kazee (18), who reaps no reward for his fast-closing effort. We regard this play, and the two before it, as a Nix Six. Rating: 3