Report: NFL Competition Committee Says Dez, Calvin Johnson Catches Should've Been Complete
Giants owner John Mara says the NFL competition committee appears to have to a unanimous conclusion that the controversial catch calls involving Dez Bryant and Calvin Johnson should have been ruled complete, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
The committee is looking to adjust the rule to relax the "going to the ground" requirement, according to Seifert.
The competition committee is meeting in Indianapolis to revise the rule. Next month, the league owners will meet looking to make “some kind of change with added clarity,” according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The rule was criticized often throughout the past season for its controversial conclusions. One of the most notable plays that came under fire was a touchdown scored by Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James that was overturned in a regular season loss to the New England Patriots.
In a 2014 NFL playoff game, Bryant appeared to have made a 31-yard catch on fourth down that put the Dallas Cowboys a yard away from a go-ahead touchdown. Upon reviewing the replay, officials overturned the call because they said Bryant did not maintain control of the ball all the way to the ground. The rule that determined the Bryant call stated: "If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete." The Green Bay Packers ended up winning the game 26–21.
Among the other changes being considered by the NFL competition committee is the possibility of limiting defensive pass interference penalties to, at most, 15 yards, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
