Earlier this month, the NFL Vice President of Officiating made an unpopular comment about the catch rule. After Super Bowl 50, he is 2-for-2.
Dean Blandino took to Twitter to explain why the Panthers' challenge of Cam Newton's first-quarter pass to Jerricho Cotchery was denied.
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Newton threw what looked like a 23-yard completion to Cotchery that would have given the Panthers a first down at their 38. Instead, Carolina was back on its 15, and two plays later, Denver linebacker Von Miller stripped Newton of the football on a sack that was recovered by Malik Jackson in the end zone to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead.
Denver would never trail in defeating the Panthers 24-10 to win the Super Bowl.
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Blandino referred to the fact that while Cotchery's hand was under the ball when he hit the ground, the tip may have come in contact with the ground.
On CAR challenge the ball touched the ground and slid up his body. Not enough evidence to change the call on the field.
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) February 8, 2016
That was not well-received by those watching the Super Bowl, except for one person.
@DeanBlandino Sure. Right. Please post link to replay showing ball hitting ground. Your broadcast partner sure didn't have it — Erik Boland (@eboland11) February 8, 2016
@eboland11 @DeanBlandino pic.twitter.com/xEspqbPyt1
— Jamesua the Great (@Jamesua8290) February 8, 2016
@Jamesua8290 @DeanBlandino indeed, the ball doesn't hit the ground... — Erik Boland (@eboland11) February 8, 2016
@eboland11 @DeanBlandino then why does the ball pop up?
— Jamesua the Great (@Jamesua8290) February 8, 2016
@michaelFhurley @DeanBlandino Dean loves plunging the NFL further into a hole of non-credibility. — Andrew Acuna (@AcunaAndrew) February 8, 2016
@DeanBlandino @caplannfl so you are blind as well? ball never hit ground...
— keepdachief! (@pwrmaster7) February 8, 2016
Last week, Blandino said that the controversial catch rule doesn't need tweaking because there will always be a "subjective element" to it, according to USA Today Sports.
The Newton-to-Cotchery play made him prophetic.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported that he would've ruled the play a catch but defended the crew's decision not to overturn the call.
"I would have voted 'catch' if it were up to me, based purely on common sense and the naked eye. But I also didn't think it met the stated standard for review, as fair or unfair as that might be. So goes the NFL in 2015: Rules upon rules upon rules."
Credit Panthers coach Ron Rivera for not using the controversial call as an excuse.
"Based on what I saw, I disagreed with it," Rivera said. "And the answer I got was that they didn't have enough evidence to overturn, you know? If the official said it was a completion, that would've been ruled a completion. Instead, he called it an incompletion and we've got to live with it."
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