Learn the rules.

If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

Dean Blandino (FL’s VP of officiating) elaborates:

“The process of the catch is a three-part process — control, two feet down and then have the ball long enough to perform an act common to the game,” Blandino said. “If you can perform all three parts, in that order, you have a catch. If not, and you’re going to the ground, you must control the ball before you hit the ground.”

Odd rule? Perhaps. Ref mistake? Quite the opposite.

It was a catch. Horrible call.

Really he didn't lose control of it until he rolled over.

Per rule, correct call. Per common fucking sense and eye test, brutal and needs to be changed.

It's debatable if it's the correct call per the rule. The rule only applies if he doesn't make a football move. 3 steps, ball changing hands and a stretch is a football move, IMO. Which means it would be a bad call.

I think they could have just come out and said catch is good and if Eddie Guns was there he would have said

"The player caught the ball, made 3 steps, displayed control of the ball, then outstretched in a football move and the ground caused the fumble.. 1st and Goal, Dallas"

The issue if the refs not differentiating between the player going to the ground and making a football play, which is sad because there does need to be included in the thought process that it is obvious the player is trying to make a play. If no play was attempting to be made, 88 goes to the ground on the 2 -3 yard line with a catch, unless of course, he hits the ground and the ball comes out from that event.

Its not that I dont see how they came to the call, just think that the call especially at that moment was terrible.

Either way, just get rid of the damn rule. Player catches the ball and goes to the ground, catch/TD os good, no matter what the fuck happens because of the ground. Sick of these debates on whether or not the ball wiggled....COME ON MAN!

And made a football play of stretching out to get the TD.

Didn't get to see it live. Just saw it on replay on Youtube after listening to the game on the radio. Totally fucked up that the refs reversed the call. He took two steps with the ball. How is it not a catch? Then he went to the ground and it came loose. But the ground can't cause a fumble, though it wasn't a fumble anyway because he kept possession. Don't see how they could overturn such a crucial play.

That's why I stopped betting about 3/4 into the season when there was too much weird shit happening with upsets. The refs took this game away from Dallas with a horse-shit overturn. I would be furious if I were a Dallas fan, let alone Jerry Jones. They got robbed.

Fuck the NFL, bunch of cheats trying to fix games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seG9n-bQ87I

wow, Bears fans calling this a horseshit call? amazing! totally unbiased.

as furious said, right call. bad rule. there's a difference.

I respectfully disagree.

After he took two steps, he was no longer in the act of catching the ball. Bryant definitely met the first two criteria you cited in the rule. As for the third, "then have the ball long enough to perform an act common to the game", he did this as well. In fact, he had the presence of mind to extend his arm to try for the touchdown.

Blown call, if not a corrupt overturn. If anything, it should have been Dallas ball 1st and goal from the 1/2 yard line.

It's one thing to blow the call on the field, but the standard should be much higher on the review to overturn such a crucial play. It's unconscionable that they did in face of the evidence against the overturn.

if he took 2 or 3 steps and looked like he leaped towards the line it would be a catch.

but he took 2 or 3 steps as he was falling to the ground, so it was incomplete.

the rule is weird, the call was right.