16 games, Dec. 12/15/16, 2024

566 +2/232\\ 

Week 15: 80 touchdowns, 2 ATDs

 

KC@CLE: Taking a dive

On this goal line dive, does Kansas City’s Juju Smith-Schuster break the plane? Yes. Does that mean he can land out of bounds, never touch the end zone and still be awarded six points. Yes again. So we ask you: Doesn’t that seem odd?

Pursuing Cleveland cornerback Martin Emerson, Jr. (23) forces Smith-Schuster wide right. So far right, in fact, that he misses the end zone entirely. It would seem Emerson did his job. He kept the ball carrier our of the end zone. Ah, but the perpetually perplexing break-the-plane rule negates all logic and hypontizes fans into believing this out-of-bounds landing is worthy of being judged a touchdown. To us, that truly is odd. Hocus Bogus Rating: 4.5

Video and image: CBS Sports

WAS@LV: The ol’ two-step

Quoting the NFL Rulebook, Rule 8, Section 1 (Forward Pass), Article 3 (Completed or Intercepted Pass): “A forward pass is complete . . . if a player . . . (Part A) secures control of the ball . . . and (Part B) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.”

Here we have a play where the Saints’ Alvin Kamara makes an outstanding one-handed catch of a pass thrown by a wide receiver, Cedrick Wilson, Jr. Karama is carrying so much speed that he only manages to land in bounds with his left foot. His right foot lands 10 or 12 inches out of bounds.

But the all-powerful break-the-plane rule rides to Kamara’s rescue. Because he broke the plane when he crossed the goal line, the play instantly ends. The two-feet-down rule that applies for all 100 yards between the goal lines suddenly goes poof  and Kamara gets six points the easy way.

Surprising? It sure took Fox commentator Jonathan Vilma by surprise, as once again logic is benched for an easier path to six points. Rating: 4

Video and images: NBC Sports

Comparison: Catch A vs. Catch B

Malike Nabers of the New York Giants makes a terrific catch tight to the pylon, just like Kamara above. Only he manages to get both feet inbounds by dragging both feet in the end zone. His effort features a much higher degree of difficulty. This is worthy of six points. 

 

Video and image: CBS Sports

CIN@TEN: A question of intent

Tennessee’s Tyjae Spears finally makes contact with the end zone very late in this play, but that never appears to be his intention when he made a springboard leap with, we believe, the goal of only momentarily poking the ball into the end zone’s airspace, a crafty move that would allow him, in Drew Brees style, to walk away with a cheap six — a technical touchdown.

He only reached the end zone because the Titans’ left tackle, JC Latham (55), drives him through the Cincinnati defensive line. So yes, it’s a touchdown, just an unconvincing, largely accidental one. 

 

Video and image: Fox Sports

BUF@DET: Laying down on the job

We pointed out a trio of goal line flops last week. Here is yet another one, where Buffalo’s Josh Allen attempts to burrow through the defense. He does get across the goal line, barely, yet never contacts the actual end zone. As Jim Nantz points out, he’s simply laying atop a defender. Congrats to the defender; he kept Allen off of paydirt, so to us this is no touchdown. The existing rulebook disagrees.

We won’t claim this as an ATD, lest anyone think we’re just trying to pile up numbers. No need for that. The game dependably produces plenty of ATDs on a weekly basis. 

 

Video and image: CBS Sports