NFL admits to officiating mistake on punt return TD

The NFL admitted errors were made on two officiating calls on Monday, including one that allowed a touchdown to stand and another one which allowed the game clock to run for more than a minute, reports NFL.com. 

The first came in Denver's 36-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers when Denver punt returner Trindon Holliday ran a punt back 76 yards and fumbled before he reached the end zone.

"Because the video showed that Holliday lost possession of the ball before it broke the plane of the goal line, (replay official Bob) Boylston should have stopped the game to initiate an instant replay review," the league said in a statement.  "Had that occurred, (referee Alberto) Riveron would have had the indisputable visual evidence necessary to overturn the on-field ruling. The result of the play should have been a touchback -- not a touchdown -- with Carolina gaining possession at the 20 yard-line."

In the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams, more than a minute of game clock ran off when officials brought out measurement chains. The NFL said the clock operator was at fault, not the officials. The game ended in a 24-24 tie.

“No member of the officiating crew recognized that the clock was incorrectly started by the clock operator during the measurement,” the statement said. “Once the next snap occurs, there is no mechanism to adjust the clock. Matters of timing are not reviewable by instant replay."