Why officials overturned Jonathan Jones’s end zone interception
NFL officials overturned the interception after it was established that Dallas Goedert had possession.
During the Patriots’ clash with the Eagles on Sunday, a touchdown was awarded to Philadelphia after NFL officials reviewed a play that was initially called as a New England interception.
The play happened with 12:36 remaining in the second quarter as the Eagles led, 3-0. On third and five at the Patriots’ five-yard line, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz found tight end Dallas Goedert for what appeared to be a touchdown.
However, Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones emerged with the ball in the end zone, and officials called it an interception. The play — as with all scoring plays and turnovers — was reviewed.
Ultimately, it was ruled that Goedert had gained possession of the ball before Jones tore it away from him. Since the action happened in the end zone, it was ruled an Eagles touchdown.
They’re saying on field that before Goedert completed process of the catch the ball was ripped out by Jones. Obviously going to review. Would be a huge takeaway for #Patriots if call stands. pic.twitter.com/CaeQwlfcfo
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 17, 2019
Goedert’s knee was down before Jones jarred the ball loose, but the ruling also hinged on whether or not the Eagles’ tight end had possession of the ball.
According to the officials, Goedert satisfied enough of the conditions set forward by the NFL rulebook to establish possession of the ball.
Once the threshold of possession was reached, the call could only be a touchdown for the Eagles, according to the NFL:
In the field of play, if a catch of a forward pass has been completed, and there is contact by a defender causing the ball to come loose before the runner is down by contact, it is a fumble, and the ball remains alive. In the end zone, the same action is a touchdown, since the receiver completed the catch beyond the goal line prior to the loss of possession, and the ball is dead when the catch is completed.
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