ATL@NO: Excellent effort

A key reason we advocate for the end of airspace touchdowns is our belief that players recognize the break-the-plane rule gives them license to circumvent the usually rigorous demands of football’s rules. It makes earning six points much easier.

Why battle to make contact with the end zone when they just just wave the ball in a small portion of its airspace and earn the same result? The break-the-plane rule too often has become a handy loophole that makes scoring touchdowns easier to achieve but less satisfying to watch.

But here is one example (and there are many others) of an airspace touchdown that involves outstanding effort. Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin goes full-bore trying to extend the ball and plant it in the end zone during a sideline lunge. Yet when hit by the Rams’ Darious Williams (31), Godwin’s left foot lands out of bounds before the ball hits the end zone.

Our rule stipulates that the ball or ball carrier must make physical, in-bounds contact with the end zone to qualify as a touchdown. That would change how this play would be judged. Here Godwin’s effort satisfies the break-the-plane criterion and he is awarded a touchdown. If our rule was in force, the letter of the law would give Tampa Bay first-and-goal inside the 1.

We say Godwin deserves credit for a fantastic effort but, alas, not a touchdown. Hocus Bogus rating: 1

KC@LV: Good, not great effort

Chiefs’ rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire launches himself toward the end zone’s airspace with maybe a 10 to 20 percent chance of landing in the end zone. Now, if he knew he had to make contact with the end zone, as he would if our rule was in play, we anticipate he would make a more aggressive effort to fight his way in. That, we think, would have been interesting to watch.

Instead, Edwards-Helaire takes an easier approach and flies into the end zone’s airspace seemingly not concerned where he lands, since he knows by rule all he has to do to pick up six points is slip through the Great Invisible Plane. Who cares where he lands? We think fans and officials should. He lands out of bounds, benefitting from what in essence has become an extra-wide end zone.

This looks dramatic, but it actually requires less precision and less effort. Rating: 4

KC@LV: When stopped, swipe left

Seeing a play such as this declared a touchdown drives us nuts. The Raiders’ Josh Jacobs is stood up at the line, clearly stopped. He never sets foot on the goal line or in the end zone.

But he extends his arms, swipes the ball into the end zone’s airspace, and voilà — an apparent defensive stop magically turns into a touchdown. Tough break for the D. A lame play to watch for the fans. Rating: 4.5

LAR@TB: Flyover

In his first start at QB for the Saints, Taysom Hill shows he knows how to cut the end zone’s corner and pick up six points without touching the end zone.

On a scramble run to his left, Hill slips through the end zone’s airspace without either foot touching the end zone. Once again the break-the-plane rule makes it possible for a ball carrier to land out of bounds on his first contact beyond the goal line and take advantage of what then becomes an extra-wise scoring area. Handy. Rating: 4