Sorry Steelers fans, there was zero catch controversy in Super Bowl LII
There were quite a few storylines that emerged from Super Bowl LII.
What happened to Malcolm Butler? Is there a quarterback controversy brewing in Philadelphia? Is this the bitter end of the Patriots dynasty? Where will the Eagles play next year after their fans invariably burn the city of Philadelphia to the ground in celebration?
One welcome non-story to emerge from Super Bowl LII? The referees.
After all the incessant whining and complaining about how the referees blatantly favor the Patriots, there is nary a peep about Gene Steratore and the job his crew did officiating the Super Bowl.
Oh, except one thing.
Steelers fans are livid after Eagles tight end Zach Ertz caught a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter that gave Philadelphia the lead for good.
.@NFoles_9 to @ZERTZ_86 for the @Eagles TD!! #SBLII https://t.co/WyaH93hkw2
— NFL (@NFL) February 5, 2018
The anger is not because Steelers fans wanted to see the Patriots win, mind you, but because of a certain non-catch that could’ve altered the playoff landscape.
When the 10-3 Patriots visited the 11-2 Steelers in Week 15, New England all but locked up the crucial No. 1 seed in the AFC after what was originally ruled a go-ahead touchdown reception from Jesse James was called back after review.
But Jesse James catch wasn’t a touchdown? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/G3ALgZ7lDz
— Justin Mathis (@4Mathis_) February 5, 2018
At first glimpse, there seemed to be a legitimate gripe here. Steelers fans certainly thought so.
https://twitter.com/scavone132/status/960347800729980928
https://twitter.com/michaelcb21/status/960347669389545472
But if these fans were to take off their black-and-gold tinted glasses for a minute, it becomes obvious the two touchdown plays couldn’t have been more different.
The key difference is that Ertz took about three steps after catching the ball before he lunged for the end zone.
With those steps, Ertz had established himself as a runner, so the “surviving the ground” clause of the catch rule was irrelevant.
Like any other runner, all Ertz had to do was break the plane of the goal line with the football for the score to count.
The fact the ball bounced off the ground after Ertz had broken the plane was irrelevant.
By comparison, Pittsburgh’s James was in the middle of completing the catch and had not taken any steps with the ball.
James had not established himself as a runner, so his reception had to survive the ground.
James could not afford to let the football hit the ground for him to complete the reception and score the touchdown. He clearly did not do so, as the ball wiggled on the ground when he hit it, and James didn’t have his hands under the football.
Those two plays are night and day.
And as much as Steelers fans want to whine and complain about it, the referees got both calls completely and 100 percent correct.
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