This week, the NFL reached an unprecedented low. The big debate came after a 51 yd FG try by Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings K and in their match-up with the Cleveland Browns in London. The incident, which took place at Tottenham Stadium, raised questions about the impact of a camera wire on the missed kick. As discussions unfolded, the league’s football operations staff addressed the matter during the October league meeting, providing clarity on camera wire interference.
Reichard’s miraculous kick that took a turn for the ages walloped a news camera wire hanging from the goal post, causing for an unfortunate miss. The debate intensified when a video from the actual game showed the ball and the cable in the same frame. This incredible find prompted fans and sports analysts alike to question the integrity of the entire attempt. The NFL’s replay department opted not to review the kick, leaving many to wonder about the validity of Reichard’s statistics.
In a similar fashion, this past week when Jets quarterback Justin Fields uncorked one against the Cowboys. His pass deflected off a camera wire, producing this bizarre moment on the field. Considering the growing media presence and social media landscape, this really furthered debate over camera interference in the league.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said as they were going through that game, he didn’t see anything abnormal. At the same time, Reichard shared his confusion about the incident in an interview with ESPN.
“It’s really hard to tell whether my ball hit the camera wire,” – Will Reichard
Reichard’s agent, Jim Ivler, took steps to amend Reichard’s statistics following the missed kick. A representative from the league office told us on Friday that they would be amending Reichard’s statistics. That would be shown as a 0-0 record for that pass attempt. The league beat a hasty retreat from this move, claiming they were powerless to alter the official statistic.
“I guess they at first said that they would [change the statistic] and then came back the next day and said they couldn’t,” – Will Reichard
The league’s investigation featured testimony from race engineers who were in attendance at Tottenham Stadium. They made sure that the camera cables were oriented in such a way that they wouldn’t obstruct kick’s flight path.
“The day after the game, we were in touch with our colleagues who handled production responsibilities for the NFL Network broadcast. Those engineers, who were on site in London, verified that because of the position of the camera behind the kicker and where the cables were mounted in the stadium, it was not possible for the cables to interfere with the flight of the ball,” – NFL spokesperson
To explain the sudden backtracking, the NFL put out a 75-second video. It features two different views of Reichard’s kick, including the broadcast view and a low sideline view. The slow-motion replay, as seen on the broadcast, made it look even more like contact took place between the ball and the cable. It achieved this by constricting the image’s depth of field.
“The slow-motion replay of the kick that went to air was from a low-end zone camera on the tight end of its lens, which compresses the plane of focus. That’s why the football and one of the cables are visible in the same shot, but the ball in no way made any contact with the cable,” – NFL spokesperson
Even with these vows from league leadership, it still leaves much room for speculation among fans and analysts too. Reichard said that his own friends and family have been constantly asking him what happened in the crash.
“I’ve gotten asked about it tons of times from friends, family,” – Will Reichard
Matt Daniels, a member of the Vikings’ coaching staff, highlighted confusion over Reichard’s kick. He said that there’s no real way to tell if the kick even hit any of the cables.
“Maybe it did [hit the wire], maybe it didn’t,” – Matt Daniels
Daniels advised that though public perception may differ, it’s the league’s responsibility to correct the narrative going forward.
“We will allow the league to work that out,” – Matt Daniels
Even well-known sports commentator Al Michaels endorsed Reichard’s skills as a kicker and recognition of his talent.
“They’ve got a great kicker; Reichard is terrific,” – Al Michaels
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