With under 30 seconds to go, Steelers tight end Jesse James appeared to catch a potential game-winning touchdown pass. But when the officials' review of the touchdown took longer than expected, it quickly became clear that the ball had come loose from James' hands after he stretched for the end zone.
According to NFL rules, this is a cut-and-dry incomplete pass as the receiver must control the ball all the way to the ground.
After the game and during NBC's "Football Night in America" show, former NFL head coach Tony Dungy perfectly explained to host Dan Patrick why this rule is so frustrating for so many football fans.
"This is absolutely the right call based on the rule," Dungy said. "But I tell you, Dan, flag football, high school football, college football. Any place you play football, other than the NFL, that's a touchdown."
In other words, the NFL is now playing a sport that is different than every other form of football that fans are familiar with.
"Because of Calvin Johnson in 2010, and trying to justify that, we have all these plays now that everybody knows are touchdowns, but now they are incomplete," Dungy said.
In other words, the NFL became so concerned with the once-every-few-years unusual play, that they created a rule that now turns seemingly basic catches into game-changing incompletions.
Here are Dungy's comments, via NBC.
