SF@CIN: A waveover wins it at the pylon

Break-the-plane touchdowns are plenty annoying whenever they occur, but they are especially soul-draining  when they decide a well-played game’s outcome during its final seconds.

Here Cincinnati safeties Vonn Bell (24) and Jessie Bates (30) do a commendable job of forcing San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk to the left sideline. Credit Aiyuk for tiptoeing the sideline to stay inbounds, though the defense did enough to fulfill its task and keep him from contracting the end zone. Of course, the break-the-plane rule makes it possible for Aiyuk’s arm wave to earn a game-winning six points, which to us seems like such a disservice to the defense.

That split-second wave above the pylon is enough to decide a game?  We can only sigh and wish a real touchdown could have played a role in the outcome. Hocus Bogus rating: 5

DET@DEN: The joke of a pylon poke

Players take what the rules give them. Make sense, Here Denver’s Albert Okwuegbunam, in search of six points, takes aim at what? The well-defended, difficult-to-reach end zone? No, he targets that orange obelisk that is planted outside the end zone, in out-of-bounds territory — a four-inch bonus scoring space made possible by the game’s curious bang-the-pylon/get-six-points ruling. Detroit safety Will Harris (25), who forced Okwuegbunam wide, is left to think, “Whatever.” Rating: 4.5

SF@CIN: Another pylon poke

What is clear in this play? San Francisco TE George Kittle did not make contact with the end zone or the goal line. He did bonk the pylon, perhaps before his knee touched, but it’s really close. We could have avoided many of the extra replays by just going with what anyone could see — no contact with the end zone was made. It’s first-and-goal inside the 1.

Instead, we watch multiple replays trying to determine if the pylon, located in out-of-bounds territory, was clipped before his knee touched, which these days qualifies for a technical touchdown. Not our idea of a good use of time.
Rating: 4.5

BAL@CLE: A six-point flyover

Cleveland WR Jarvis Landry gets credit for a classic airspace touchdown. He waves the ball over a narrow corner of the end zone, but makes first contact with the turf when he lands out of bounds.

Did the ball in his hands break the goal line’s plane? Yes. Did the ball or Landry ever touch the end zone before his hit out of bounds? No. So to us, it should be Cleveland’s ball, first-and-goal inside the 1. We believe making clear in-bounds contact with the end zone is what should earn you six points. Rating: 4

BUF@TB: Brady goes body surfing

If you manage to kinda/sorta lean over the goal line but never actually touch the end zone — you just float around on top of other players — is that good enough to walk away with six points? We imagine some people will say yes. We would disagree.

This is the football version of flopping. “Look, I’ve got five linemen underneath me, but I’m in the end zone’s airspace. That’s good enough, right?” We would say no. In a contact sport, you need to contact the scoring area. Rating: 4

PIT@MIN: Too nitpicky? Not really

Close calls are inevitable with any rule, and that would include ours. Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook makes it tougher on himself by easing up and trying to cruise into the end zone. But then he has to hustle the final 10 yards, go wide right, and skip over the corner of the end zone. When he does, his right foot (the first body part to contact the turf beyond the goal line, lands partially out of bounds. (And we apologize for the graininess of our prove-it photo.) 

The cost of Cook’s showboat antics should be no touchdown, just first-and-goal on the 1, where we would generously give him forward progress. Rating: 2.5