LV@CHI: A bad deal for the D

We can’t know for certain, but here it appears Raiders’ RB Josh Jacobs has no intent to battle his way into the end zone; he’s just going to settle for an easy score — a peekaboo bunny hop above both lines where he will catch a little (very little) end zone airspace with the ball, then walk away content with an uninteresting touchdown.

Chicago FS Eddie Jackson (4) nearly prevents this from happening by going vertical himself and, at first, attempting to dislodge the ball from Jacobs’ hands. with his right arm. Perhaps unexpectedly, the ball lands in Jackson’s hands, and he starts running downfield. He might have gone the distance.

Had such a sequence happened anywhere else but near the goal line, Jackson would have been credited with a forced fumble and looked like a stellar defensive disruptor. Instead, due to the break-the-plane rule, Jacobs gets away with a touchdown by technicality, prompting yawns and shrugs from fans. Disappointing. Hocus Bogus rating: 5

GB@CIN: A great hit goes for naught

Pow! Cincinnati strong safety Vonn Bell (24) lays the lumber on Green Bay RB AJ Dillon just as he nears the goal line. Due to Bell’s hit, Dillon never touches the end zone (thus we would say no touchdown), but Dillon was ruled (generously, in our view) to have either passed the ball over the goal line or the pylon, although it’s not blatantly evident that he fulfilled either task.

No matter. It’s another close-enough, break-the-plane ruling that typically favors the offense and sweeps aside above-average defensive effort. Rating: 4

NYG@DAL: Legging it out

With so much open space in front of him, Dallas RB Ezekiel Elliott could have easily run to the end zone without getting touched. Yet he decides to high-step toward the pylon and lose the advantage he had on New York’s faked-out defenders. So Elliott has to hustle to the corner of the end zone.

With LB Tae Crowder (48) closing in, Elliott now needs to plant his launch foot on the 1 and leap over a narrow corner of the end zone, and his left foot lands out of bounds. The break-the-plane rule makes sloppy play such as this possible. Change the rule and we’ll likely see less showboating and more determined touchdown attempts. Rating: 3.5

NYG@DAL: Sideways for six

Ezekiel Elliot avoids contacting the end zone for the second time in the same game and picks up six points each time. 

He again encounters Tae Crowder on the sideline, and the Giants’ LB pushes Elliott forcefully enough that he’s headed out of bounds as he passes over the right pylon. He turns himself sideways so he can attempt to wave the ball over end zone airspace and pick up another undemanding six points, and sure enough, the tactic works. It’s a master class in breaking the plane by Elliott. What a non-thrill. Rating: 3.5

CLE@LAC: A simple stepover

Here’s evidence that the break-the-plane rule can cultivate a lazy approach to earning a touchdown. Cleveland WR Rashard Higgins is virtually all alone near the right pylon when he catches a toss from Baker Mayfield. He turns, plants his left foot in front of the goal line, then casually steps over the corner of the end zone and out of bounds — never making contact with the end zone. (See below.)

Higgins figures he has broken the plane, so why bother with a silly formality such as touching the end zone? We can’t really fault Higgins for how he handled the play. If the rule allows you to shuffle past the end zone without bothering to touch it, go ahead.

Changing the rule would change the mindset players take when approaching scoring situations. We think that would be a change for the better. Rating: 4