Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday fell victim to a rule that likely needs to be tweaked before next season. Anyone with any common sense could tell you that Bryant made a spectacular catch on 4th-and-2, controlled the ball and tried to stretch for the goal line as he was hitting the ground. The play was ruled a catch on the field but overturned by replay.
While the ground can’t cause a fumble, it can cause an incomplete pass. Because the ball moved, Bryant technically didn’t complete the process of the catch. He pleaded with the NFL after the game to change the rule.
“As I went to the ground I rolled over and I tipped the ball to gain better control,” Bryant wrote on Twitter. “We lost and I accept it but please change that rule.”
If you haven’t seen the play, you can watch it here. Not only did Bryant make the catch over the defender, but his right forearm looked like it hit the ground before he extended his left arm out and the ball hit the ground. That’s when the ball shifted, which resulted in the call being overturned.
The issue here should be with the rule — not with the officiating. Unlike the call that the Cowboys benefitted from against the Detroit Lions, the refs really had no choice in this situation. The rule needs to be changed in a way that allows the officials to use more common sense.
