Fans of a team that blows a horn and beats a drum ultimately didn’t have to grab any pitchforks and torches and march from Minneapolis to Manhattan after Saturday’s Colts-Vikings game, since the home team eventually won. Along the way, however, there was a very bad call that took a touchdown off the board that would have cut the score from 36-28 to 36-34, pending the extra point or two-point conversion.
Colts running back Deon Jackson fumbled at the Indianapolis 39. Vikings cornerback Chandon Sullivan recovered, returning it for a touchdown. But the officials ruled that Jackson was down by contact.
Although replay review was available to fix part of the mistake, the on-field error took a touchdown off the board.
“The original ruling on the field was that the runner that was in the pile was down by contact,” NFL senior V.P. of officiating Walt Anderson told pool reporter Chip Scoggins after the game. “Subsequently, a Minnesota player got it back. We had a look and could tell right away that the runner was still up when the ball came loose. We had a good view that it was a clear recovery by Minnesota No. 39. But the ruling on the field was the runner was down by contact. There was a subsequent loose ball and then a recovery by Minnesota and an advance. Minnesota challenged that and by the time they challenged, we had good views. We had an expedited review to announce that it was a fumble, and we had a clear recovery. But all we could do was give Minnesota the ball at the spot of the recovery.”
That’s the rule, and it’s better than what the rule used to be. At one point, the ruling of down by contact prevented any change via replay review, no matter how clear the recovery may have been.
“It’s technically a dead ball when the officials rule that he’s down by contact,” Anderson said. “However, the replay rules do allow you to award the defense the ball if that recovery is clearly a fumble and if that recovery is in the immediate continuing action from when the ball comes loose. But you cannot give an advance.”
The Vikings had insult added to injury, since Sullivan took off his helmet to complain about the ruling. He was flagged, and the Vikings lost 15 yards of field position.
Still, Minnesota eventually scored (two drives later), converted for two, forced overtime, and won. That may not make those who had Minnesota giving 3.5 points any better, however.
Walt Anderson explains ruling that took scoop-and-score off the board in Colts-Vikings originally appeared on Pro Football Talk