NO@PHI: The no-touch two-step

Amazing but true: This brief hand-wave Jalen Hurts made over the pylon was, after much hand-wringing, declared worthy of a touchdown. Wow.

Though Hurts was initially (and logically) ruled short of the end zone due to the vigorous pursuit of New Orleans OLB Demario Davis (56), after an official review it was determined that, though it’s clear neither of his feet touched the end zone,  he must have waved a few pebbles of the ball above the pylon or a small fraction of the goal line and, voilà, that gets you six points.

This was decided even though the ball squirted out of Hunts’ right hand moments after he gave a wave near the pylon. We wonder: Since receivers have traditionally been required to “survive the ground” and maintain possession of the ball when they crash land on the turf, shouldn’t a ball carrier in Hurts’ position be required to, maybe, survive the wave? Seems like a fair expectation, though little about break-the-plane touchdowns seems fair to us. This is an unsatisfying result after an ugly play. Hocus Bogus rating: 5

IND@BUF: An out-of-bounds backflip 

The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor gets wrapped up by Buffalo linebacker A.J. Klein at the 1 and flung out of bounds. But because Taylor and the ball he is carrying are ruled to have passed over the goal line before he lands out of bounds on his back, he is awarded a touchdown.

Because he never made physical contact with the end zone, just involuntarily passed through a bit of its airspace, we would rule the ball be placed inside the 1 (our estimate of his forward progress before he was tossed out of bounds), first-and-goal. Taylor makes a good effort to reach the end zone. Klein makes what we think is a better effort to keep him out. Rating: 4

GB@MIN: Just in airspace

Green Bay CB Eric Stokes bounces Minnesota WR Justin Jefferson out of bounds just in front of the goal line, but because he was ruled to have momentarily floated through some fragment of end zone airspace, he is awarded a touchdown.

We would rule it differently (first-and-goal on the 1) since Jefferson never physically touched the actual scoring area (i.e., the end zone). It is yet another example of a phantom score, an unconvincing technical touchdown. In our view, it’s not a good look. Rating: 4

NYG@TB: Just playing through

Tampa Bay RB Ronald Jones flies through the end zone’s airspace, but never actually touches the scoring area, Since fans typically experience an airspace touchdown on occasion, but as we hope this website shows, they occur with annoying frequency. In a contact sport, too many no-touch touchdowns tend to diminish the spirit of the game. Rating: 4

MIA@NYJ: Give the D a little credit

The Jets’ secondary makes a mistake and Miami WR Mack Hollins is left wide open for a deep toss from Tua Tagovailoa. Jets’ safety Ashtyn Davis (21) gives chase and does enough to alter Hollins’ stride so his first point of contact after passing the goal line occurs with his left foot, which lands out of bounds.

CBS announcer Greg Gumbel saw his foot land out of bounds and recognized he never touched the end zone. So he initially stated, accurately, what his eyes and brain told him. His right foot, as shown below, never hit the goal line, though it was really close. The eye test told him this was no score. Yet the existing break-the-plane rule overrode the logic of what sensible people had originally observed. Rating: 2.5

CIN@LV: Really, really close

Here’s an excellent effort by Cincinnati RB Joe Mixon, doing his best to get to the end zone before his knees go down following a solid ankle tackle by Raiders’ safety Tre’von Moehrig (25). 

Mixon extends the ball and manages to get it into the goal line’s airspace a fraction of a second before his knees hit. That is considered good enough for a break-the-plane touchdown. We think that’s a cheapie. We believe a ball carrier’s first down contact needs to occur in the scoring area (goal line and end zone). It’s close, but we would rule Mixon down on or inside the 1. Rating: 1.5

HOU@TEN: Also really close

It’s hard to know for certain when Tyrod Taylor’s knee hits the goal line. We think it’s a split-second after he plants the ball out of bounds as he goes past the pylon. It would not have been a popular opinion with Houston fans at the time, but we would say it is Texans’ ball, fourth-and-goal inside the 1. Rating: 1