GB@DET: Loose ball? Doesn’t matter

Prior to this week, the last time the NFL had a slate of games free of airspace touchdowns was Week 2 of the 2021 season. It was a refreshing change of space to see ball carriers who scored all 75 touchdowns during Week 12 actually reach and touch the end zone. That’s a good trend. We’re guessing it may not last that long.

The week’s only airspace score came during a two-point conversion attempt.  Detroit’s David Montgomery got popped by Green Bay lineman Devonte Wyatt (95) in front of the goal line, spinning Montgomery around and causing him to lose his grip on the ball before his left foot touched the goal line.

While the ball broke the plane, in our view this should not be a score since he did not contact the end zone while possessing the ball. Hocus Bogus rating: 2

JAX@HOU: In the end zone by accident

Even though he inadvertently made contact with the end zone on this play, we have to acknowledge Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence for making a serious effort to avoid the designated scoring area on his latest attempt to score an airspace touchdown.

End zone avoidance — while still collecting points — has become a Lawrence specialty. He counts on his lunge-and-reach maneuver (see Week 16 in 2022 and the Wild Card round later that season) to bypass the inconvenience of actually contacting the end zone, and last week he was credited with two no-touch touchdowns following a pair of lame pylon waves while he ran out of bounds.

Here the 6-foot-6 Larence springs over his offensive line, reaches the ball into the end zone’s airspace and, by doing so, satisfies the break-the-plane rule. So it does not matter to him where his feet land. It just so happens on this play that the Texans’ defenders eased up and allowed Lawrence to return to earth any old place. It just so happened that he was able to back into the end zone.

Fans booed after this play.  Maybe a few of them were not pleased because they paid big bucks for seats and were rewarded with a move this feeble. Brace yourself; we’re likely going to see this tactic deployed over and over by Lawrence in the years ahead. Thrilling.