Quote:
Originally Posted by jjchieffan
I don't understand how it was a touchback. Whether he temporarily lost control or not, he regained control. How is it a touchback? He didn't fumble.
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So it's a crap rule. If an offensive player fumbles INTO or THROUGH the end zone, then the ball is awarded to the DEFENSE (even though they didn't recover it) and it's a touchback at the 20. I think the call here was correct, but agree it's a crap rule. If the defense doesn't recover it in the end zone, then I think the offense shoudl get the ball at the one.
To avoid all doubt -- the ruling here is that the player lost control of the ball before he entered the end zone (which he clearly did) and did not regain control of the ball until AFTER the ball had crossed the plane, and therefore ball goes to the defense on a touchback.
Again, it helped the Pats today, but it's a crap rule.