During a Week Three game between the Titans and the Browns, an official looking right at the relevant action incorrectly ruled that Cleveland receiver Amari Cooper had stepped out of bounds on what would have been a long touchdown, if the play had been ruled correctly.
Last night at FedEx Field, the same thing might have happened on a catch and run from Bears receiver D.J. Moore.
It’s unclear whether it actually happened, because a clear view of the play was never shown by Amazon Prime. It’s not known whether a clear view wasn’t available, or whether it was available and it just wasn’t shown.
Moore’s reaction suggested a firm and clear belief by him that he had not stepped out of bounds. And the fact that the official blew the play dead prevented the mistake (if one was made) from being fixed. In such moments, the play ends with no opportunity to change the outcome via the slowly-expanding booth umpire procedure or full-blown replay review.
The first real question is whether a mistake happened. Until someone produces a clear angle of the moment at which Moore didn’t (or perhaps did) step out of bounds, no one will know with certainty.
The second question is how can such mistakes be avoided. It’s another reason for full-time officials.
Not that such mistakes would be completely eradicated, but it would at least look like the NFL is trying to do so. And if, for example, the officials gathered every Tuesday and/or Wednesday in a central location (Kansas City or Dallas, for example) to spend a day or two each week in meetings, the league could emphasize points like, for example, the importance of letting a play along the boundary keep going, since it can always be fixed if the player actually stepped out — and it can never be fixed if he actually did not.
Until the NFL does more to iron out these blunders, they are precisely the kind of thing that will make people wonder if something fishy is happening.
For now, let’s see if we’ll ever get a clear look at whether Moore actually stepped out of bounds. And if there was unmistakable evidence that he did, the league surely would find a way to get the clip to social media, most likely via one of the various reporters who work directly for the NFL.