A historic drop in the number of penalty flags helped diminish the spotlight on the NFL service in 2020. So did the abolition of repeat reviews for pass interference. But the advent of post-season football has heightened criticism of any questionable call, interpretation and revision of rules.
Do not worry. We are here for you. What follows is a real-time breakdown of the phone calls you shook your head at, yelled at the television, or otherwise got confused with during the wildcard round. The most recent plays are at the top.
Ramming RB Cam Akers’ fumble reversed
Rams-Seahawks wildcard game, 46 seconds to go in the first half
What happened: Officials ruled that Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap had stripped Akers’ ball after a three-meter run. The recovery from the fumble was credited to Seahawks ‘corner-back Ryan Neal, who gave Seattle the ball at the Rams’ 26-yard line.
How it was resolved: The call was reversed during the repeat assessment. The NFL ruled that Akers had been knocked out by contact before he fumbled, and the Rams retained possession.
Analysis: The league got the game right in the end, but like several other calls we’ve seen over the wildcard weekend, it was hard to believe NFL caliber would see this game as a fumble. Akers was on his back, the ball tight in his arm, when Dunlap tried to strip the ball for the first time. At least one official initially ruled Akers, but he was overruled. It is always possible for views to be blocked and sometimes when in doubt, officials decide on a turnover to ensure it can be correctly rated during replay via auto review.
But in this case, the replay could have revised the game anyway, as there were less than two minutes left. It was the kind of decision that erodes confidence in the company’s overall competence.
Officials raise flag when they hit Rams QB’s head
Rams-Seahawk’s wildcard game, 5:40 to go in the first quarter
What happened: When Ram’s quarterback John Wolford dove to the ground after a six-foot run, Seahawk’s safety Jamal Adams lowered his right shoulder and hit Wolford in the head. Officials initially threw a flag at Adams. Wolford left the game and was replaced by Jared Goff.
How it was resolved: Referee John Hussey announced that there would be no penalty because Wolford was considered a runner and thus was not subject to the protections normally afforded to quarterbacks.
Analysis: True, Wolford wouldn’t receive quarterback protection at that game, but the original flag was still deserved. It’s still an unnecessary roughness foul, according to the NFL rulebook, as Wolford dove to the ground thus surrendering himself. This means that he is classified as a defenseless player and opponents are prohibited from forcibly touching the head or neck area of such players. It was the second consecutive year that the Seahawks had knocked a starting quarterback out of a playoff game with a blow to the head. In that case, Jadeveon Clowney’s hit on Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was considered incidental and non-violent. Wolford has meanwhile been taken to hospital as a precaution, said a spokesman for Rams.
How was that not a fumble from the Colts?
Wildcard game Colts-Bills, 50 seconds to go in the fourth quarter
What happened: In fourth and tenth place of the Colts ‘last possession, receiver Zach Pascal got a 17-yard catch and fell to the Bills’ 46-yard line. Pascal got up and rummaged, which was recovered by the Bills in what would have been game-clinching. However, officials on the field ruled that Pascal had been knocked down by contact after initially falling.
How it was resolved: Bills coach Sean McDermott called a timeout as the Colts rushed to the line of scrimmage, but he couldn’t challenge as there were less than 2 minutes left in the game. During the timeout, Al Riveron’s senior vice president of the NFL reviewed the call. It was not immediately clear whether his review was halting the game or whether it was a McDermott timeout. Regardless, referee Brad Allen announced that the call would stand without further explanation.
Analysis: The NFL said on Twitter that no clear and obvious evidence was available to reverse the ruling, and that no pool report had been requested in Buffalo for further explanation. As replays seemed to confirm that Pascal was not contacted before he got up, and that he was not down when he lost possession. We will update this post if the NFL or Riveron provides further clarification. But with all the available evidence at this point, the accounts should have been repossessed. Had the Colts come back to draw or win the game – the Bills won 27-24 – this decision would have been heavily scrutinized.
In #INDvsBUF, the ruling on the field is that the runner was switched off by ignition. It was not clear and clear visual evidence to quash the verdict, it says. pic.twitter.com/1QmUW2Sjcj
– NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) January 9, 2021
Clock runs out of bounds after a fumble
Wildcard game Colts-Bills, 26 seconds to go in the fourth quarter
What happened: The game clock kept running after Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. rumbled outside the track.
How it was resolved: The clock never stopped.
Analysis: This game caused quite a stir on social media, but it was appropriate game management. A fumble out of bounds is not the same as a player going out of bounds. According to the NFL rulebook, “If a player’s fumble or backward pass goes out of the field of play, the game clock starts on the referee’s signal that a ball has returned to the field of play.”
Accounts credited with two by-catches
Wildcard game Colts-Bills, less than 2 minutes, second quarter
What happened: The receiver of accounts Gabriel Davis was given sidelines of 37 and 19 yards. In both cases, frame-by-frame repetitions showed that he might not have gotten both feet on the ground.
How it was resolved: With less than 2 minutes left, the official NFL rerun instituted ratings of both games. In any case, referee Brad Allen only announced that the original call remained. Allen did not explain why an official hat was on the ground when Davis made the first catch; often this means that a player or players no longer has a playing field and is no longer an eligible receiver.
An outrageous toe tap from Gabriel Davis 😳 @ Mrjoshua1971 @BuienRadarNL
📺 #INDvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/JPb0PYq5SO
– The checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 9, 2021
Analysis: You could judge frame by frame that Davis’s left foot hit the white part of the sideline after the first catch. The same goes for the second reception, where he may not have fully performed a toe-drag before stepping out of bounds. But the NFL’s replay system demands a much higher standard than it could be. It should be “clear and obvious”, preferably in high speed action, that Davis had stepped out of bounds before gaining possession. Had the on-the-spot ruling been incomplete, the grading system would likely have maintained it.