I'm certainly not an expert on NFL rules, but I saw the play in question and it appeared to me that given the position of the R player (giving the fair catch signal) and where the ball was muffed, the R player would have had little chance to catch the ball because he was moving backwards and the ball bounced up a couple yards in front of him. Don't know if there is any judgment involved with this NFL rule or whether the player muffing the ball retains his "opportunity to catch the muffed ball" until the ball hits the ground.
On a positive note, at least the announcers recognized that it was a muff and not a "fumble."
__________________
kentref
|
Tue Oct 11, 2005, 08:16pm
Hybrid Mode
