The Minnesota Vikings lost on Sunday, in heartbreaking fashion, to the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 28-22. The high-flying contest featured one of the biggest non-calls in recent memory as Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson earned an iffy touchdown reception. Oddly enough, this incident occurred with less than three minutes remaining in the game. It’s sparked a very real and controversial discussion to the league’s controversial catch rule.
Kevin Seifert, a seasoned NFL reporter with over 20 years of experience, covered the game for ESPN, where he has been a staff writer since 2008. Before coming to ESPN, Seifert was the beat reporter. In former jobs, he traced the politics of sports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Washington Times. Here are his thoughts on the game, including an explanation for the controversial pass interference call that snuffed out the Vikings’ chances of winning.
With 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, Hockenson caught a toss from quarterback Kirk Cousins. It appeared as though he had a 15-yard touchdown run on third-and-2. Two members of referee Bill Vinovich’s crew immediately came over to Hockenson. So, they started telling him that they thought the play was a catch and a touchdown. Upon further review of the play, NFL officials changed the ruling, causing huge implications on the outcome of the game.
Hockenson expressed his frustration with the call, stating, “I don’t basically understand the catch rule at this point.” That all too common feeling of bafflement surprises a lot of players and fans alike and NFL rules that seem to change on an almost weekly basis.
The reversed touchdown removed a potential game-tying possession from the board. As expected, the Vikings experienced a massive 16.4% swing in their win probability. They were awful in the red zone, converting just one of six trips into touchdowns. To further compound their misery, they committed two turnovers including a pick-six on an interception return of 42 yards.
In an up-and-down performance, kicker Will Reichard ultimately settled in and blasted a career-long 59-yard field goal in the game. His booming kick lit up the Vikings sideline with initial surprise and hope. That was all not enough to give them a victory as they came up short against the Eagles.
Mark Butterworth, an official involved in the game, stated, “The ruling on the field was a touchdown,” highlighting the confusion surrounding the decision that ultimately played a critical role in the outcome.
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