NFL’s ‘Catch Rule’ Cause Of Another Dispute In Patriots Vs Vikings Game

After the New England Patriots 33-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday night, tight end Hunter Henry was baffled by the instant replay ruling, NFL Catch Rule that disallowed his 6-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

Every now and then, a contentious call by officials brings the NFL’s rules on completed passes back into the public eye. On Thanksgiving evening, they made their way back into the light.

‘Catch Rule’ Cause Of Another Dispute In Patriots Vs Vikings Game

The Vikings’ Chandon Sullivan was covering Henry when Mac Jones, the quarterback, threw a pass near the goal line on a third-and-goal play from the 6-yard line. Henry lunged for the goal line while holding the ball in both hands.

After a thorough review, the call was changed from being a touchdown to being an incomplete pass.

“I believe I caught it,” Henry said late Thursday night in the Patriots locker room. “He said it hit the ground. But I believe my hand was under the ball. The hand was under the ball, with hitting the ground, that’s what kind of caused it to jump up.”

“They made the call. Just got to live with it.”

Assuming a successful point-after attempt, a touchdown would have given the Patriots a 30-23 advantage midway through the third quarter. Instead, they were content to settle for Nick Folk’s 25-yard field goal. The following 10 points in the game were scored by the Vikings.

Hunter Henry, a tight end with the Patriots, had a touchdown catch overturned by replay officials because they determined that Henry “lost control of the ball in his hands” after it reached the ground. He was heading to the ground, the ball ended up contacting the ground, and then he lost control of the ball in his hands, according to a pool report by Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports NFL vice president of officiating Walt Anderson.

Coach Kevin O’Connell of the Vikings predicted that the play would either be ruled a catch just short of the goal line or an incomplete pass as the replay process progressed.

“It seems like it was one of those situations when many potential outcomes were possible. I was quite pleased with how it turned out “said he.

After the decision, the Patriots still had a chance, but they were doomed by self-inflicted injuries, such as a running-into-the-kicker penalty in the fourth quarter that led to a Vikings touchdown.

 

 

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