CHI@LAC: Outlander

Two terrific efforts are on display here: the sideline sprint by the Chargers’ Austin Ekeler and the full-tilt, cross-field dash by Chicago defensive back Jaylon Johnson (33).

Ekeler, in search of his first receiving touchdown of 2023, outruns all his pursuers except the fast-closing Johnson, who pops him with a textbook crossbody hit that sends Ekeler flying out of bounds, never touching the end zone.

Ekeler plants his right hand in front of the goal line, just enough to keep him airborne before zooms over a small wedge of end zone airspace before landing two feet out of bounds.

The break-the-plane rule grants Ekeler a no-touch touchdown for his effort. Yet to us, the superior play was made by the hard-charging Johnson, who traveled far and fast to do what a defender is supposed to do — keep a ball carrier out of the end zone. He did so, yet because of what we think is a flawed rule, he gets no credit for it. We think that is a pity. Hocus Bogus Rating: 4.5

Pro Football Network

NO@IND: Corner cutter

The Saints’ Taysom Hill needs some extra space in order to come close to the end zone on this run, so he takes it by launching himself with his right foot from the 1, then gliding over the right-front corner of the end zone in the manner of an Olympic triple jumper, his left foot never touching until after his right foot lands roughly three feet out of bounds.

It’s another example of how ball carriers use the break-the-plane rule to expand the width of the end zone. Since they are not required to touch the end zone, they can avoid tacklers by just leaping over it and landing two or three or more feet outside of the designated scoring area.

That is an often-exploited loophole we think should be fixed. Ideally soon. Rating: 4

Explanation: “Not clear”

Readers have asked what the “Not clear” column indicates on our weekly touchdown summary charts.

It refers to plays that we strongly suspect are airspace touchdowns, but we lack utterly conclusive video evidence to support that belief. We don’t count such plays as airspace touchdowns lest skeptics accuse us of padding our numbers.

We have seen six “not clear” touchdowns in the first eight weeks of the 2023. season. For Week 8, we present Chicago QB Tyson Bagent attempting to tunnel his way into the end zone against the Chargers on a sneak from the 1.

Bagent, who failed to break through on the previous play, on his second attempt appears to have cracked the Great Invisible Plane, but he’s lying atop a number of linemen, principally (we think) left guard Cody Whitehair (65).

Our rule stipulates a ball carrier must make contact with the end zone to be awarded a touchdown.  To us, body flopping is not worthy of six points.

Too demanding? We don’t think so. Football is a demanding game. If a receiver is required to land with two feet inbounds just to be credited with a catch, the idea of no-touch touchdowns is a strange contradiction to the game’s otherwise high standards of execution.

In contrast, we present two examples of touchdowns where the players — the Colts’ Zack Moss and Baltimore’s Gus Edward — make determined efforts to touch the end zone and leave no doubt about the validity of their touchdowns.

Look at Moss; he reaches the ball backward over his head to contact the goal line. And Edwards just pushes and pushes until he plants the ball on paydirt.

We believe if the requirements are clearly defined, ball carriers will make the type of effort necessary to avoid body-flopping and instead touch the end zone.

Video and image: Fox Sports