Even by definition of the rule, I’m still not sure Calvin Johnson’s touchdown should have been overturned.
One foot down.
Two feet down.
His backside was down.
Ball was in his hand the entire time.
Ball gets placed on the ground.
No touchdown.
Johnson did everything right on that fatal play outside of holding onto the ball long enough to have it constituted as “complete.” The official ruling was that Megatron didn’t maintain position throughout the entirety of the play, which resulted in a touchdown being wiped off the board and an eventual 19-14 win for the Bears. Again, even by definition of the rule I’m not sure Johnson’s TD shouldn’t have counted.
Furthermore, how does a touchdown count when the tip of the ball goes across the goal line when a back or QB is carrying it but not when Johnson makes a play like this? It doesn’t make any sense. Ball goes across the line when a back is carrying it into the end zone and it’s a done deal – TOUCHDOWN. Johnson gets two feet down, his ass down, his back down, both ears on the ground plus a tongue and it’s an incomplete pass.
But there’s nothing the Lions can do about it now. Game over, sorry about your luck.
The real story here is how the Bears, a team that many consider to be a sleeper in the NFC after all the moves they made this offseason, managed to beat a proverbial last place team by only five points when their starting quarterback didn’t even play the second half. The real story is how the Bears now-explosive Mike Martz-led offense could only muster 19 measly points at home against a defense that has the worst starting cornerback duo in the league.
Granted, the Bears did compile 463 yards of total offense, including 362 through the air and 101 on the ground. You can’t ask for much more out of Martz’s first real trial run, but the Lions should have never been in this game. Chicago turned the ball over four times, committed nine penalties for 100 yards and couldn’t score on four straight attempts from the Detroit 1-yard line with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game when trailing, 14-13.
Considering Lovie Smith was on the hot seat coming into the season, it’s shocking that his team could look so undisciplined, unfocused and so careless.
The only thing that saved he and the Bears today was a technicality.
