CAR@ATL: The art of goal line dodge ’em

In case anyone needed a refresher course, second-year Atlanta RB Tyler Allgeier demonstrates how to collect six points while bypassing the inconvenience of actually touching the end zone.

Allgeier, forced wide by linebacker Brian Burns (0), needs to run even wider because the Panthers’ Shaq Thompson (7) is coming fast and blocking end zone access. Rather than take on Thompson, Allgeier aims for the pylon instead. He gives gives the ball a brief wave over the pylon as steps out of bounds at the 1 following a shove by Thompson. He crash-lands about four feet wide of the end zone, never touching it. The result: six points for a nothing-but-air touchdown.

Thompson does his job by keeping Allgeier out of the end zone (other than momentarily passing through a sliver of its airspace). Allgeier, meanwhile, collects his second touchdown of the day and enjoys some extended TV exposure. The lesson: It’s tough to be a defender in a break-the-plane world. Hocus Bogus rating: 4.5

JAX@IND: A rare break for the D

On rare occasions, the break-the-plane rule works in favor of someone on the defensive side of the ball. Here the Colts’ DeForest Buckner, a 295-pound defensive tackle, scoops up a loose ball and runs pell-mell down the sideline, hoping to outrun Jacksonville’s 315-pound OT Anton Harrison (77).

 A shove by Harrison sends Buckner tumbling out of bounds a foot short of the goal line. But because he managed to reach the ball into the end zone’s airspace a moment before he fell to earth, Buckner gets six points. It’s still a lousy rule, but at least it works both ways. Rating: 4

LAR@SEA: Get a grip

If our rule —  to earn a touchdown, ball carriers must get the ball to at least the goal line and make first contact with the end zone — was in force, some plays that even we acknowledge look like touchdowns would be disallowed. It makes us a little sad, but we think it’s worth such a price if it means the game is finally purged of airspace touchdowns.

Here the Rams’ Kyren Williams lunges for the goal line and his right thigh and knee contact the ground while the ball is hovering over the line. Referees decided that was good enough and awarded Williams his second TD of the day, albeit, in our opinion, a bogus airspace TD.

But take a closer look at the moment Williams’ leg was down: 

The ball is out of Williams’ hands while he’s in the goal line’s airspace. So, even when applying the generous standard of the existing break-the-plane rule, should this have been worthy of six points? We say no. No on all counts. Rating: 1.5