SF@AZ: ‘Did he get in?’ Part 1

That’s the question announcer Andrew Catalon asks as 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk crash-lands out of bounds after lunging toward the pylon.

Juszczyk leaves his feet just inside the 2-yard line, and he lands about a yard beyond the goal line, but just out of bounds. Despite this visual evidence, the refs signal a touchdown because they believe he skimmed through the end zone’s airspace after he apparently broke the Great Invisible Plane.  This is cause for celebration? We would much rather see someone make actual contact with the designated scoring area, i.e., the end zone. Rating: 4

SF@AZ: ‘Did he get in?’ Part 2

That’s the question announcer Andrew Catalon repeats in the fourth quarter, and he quickly answers himself: “Yes he did!” In reality, maybe Arizona RB Kenya Drake briefly got into the end zone’s airspace, but nothing else. 

If you allow yourself to snap out of the hypnotic stupor that the break-the-plane rule has cast on football fans, you watch a play such as this and think, “Wow, good job by the defense. The runner never got close to touching the end zone.” It should be fourth-and-goal on the 1.

But Drake gets six points for . . . what? Jumping above his offensive line and getting pushed backwards a split-second after he left his feet? What a goofy, logic-defying rule. Rating: 5

MIN@NO: Nobody knows

Here we witness the inglorious folly of the break-the-plane rule, Neither the refs, the announcers, nor the TV rules interpreter can decide whether the catch by Minnesota’s Adam Thielen is a touchdown or not. The debate goes on and on and on. Finally, the refs call it a touchdown, but no one really knows why.

No one asked us, but if they did we could tell them right away: This is not a touchdown. Why not? Because Thielen never made contact with the end zone, Period. Easy call. Why do we put ourselves through this interminable guessing game about whether or not a player broke some invisible plane? Make it easier on everyone: Require ball carriers to make contact with the end zone if they want six points. Rating: 4.5

MIN@NO: Breaking that plane

We say no touchdown here because the right knee of New Orleans RB Alvin Kamara hit in front of the goal line before his right arm (and the ball he was carrying) landed in the end zone.

At first, the refs were uncertain about the call, but eventually gave him credit for breaking the Great Invisible Plane. Not so in our world; we believe ball carriers must make first contact in the end zone in order to earn six points. Hocus Bogus rating: 2