Jordan Poyer was surprised and so were several social media users, after the Buffalo Bills safety’s interception was overturned against the New England Patriots on Thursday. The two sides locked horns in their Week 13 matchup at the Gillette Stadium.
New England quarterback Mac Jones’s throw, in the third quarter, was caught by Poyer. The safety made an insane jump in an attempt to pick it. However, the ball came loose just at the end and the officials ruled that he did not maintain control.
Watch Poyer’s interception:
“Hey @NFL figure out what a catch is. You’re killing the game. You’ve butchered the rules. Every day fans can clearly see what a catch is and y’all clueless. Changing the rules every yearly hasn’t helped,” a Twitter user said.
“Didn’t NFL get rid of the “surviving the ground” catch rule four years ago because it led to so many ridiculous & controversial calls? So why are refs suddenly overturning calls based on “surviving the ground”? Did the NFL secretly bring the rule back?” another one added.
“The “catch” rules are a tool the @NFL uses to control the outcome of games. We aren’t that dense…” a third one tweeted.
In 2018, NFL team owners voted to pass simplified catch rules. The league said that a player who makes a catch may advance the ball.
The rule is:
A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) in the field of play, at the sideline, or in the end zone if a player, who is inbounds: secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled, performs any act common to the game (e.g., tuck the ball away, extend it forward, take an additional step, turn upfield, or avoid or ward off an opponent), or he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so.