Regardless of how terrible the rule and/or call, from reaction of fans and "experts" at all levels, there obviously was not "indisputable" evidence to reverse the original call (whatever it would have been). That happened numerous times this post-season so far. Instant replay has become a total joke.

"Experts" on TV aren't exactly experts. But the ex-refs and Piereras and the like all agree with the call. It's a terrible rule and should have been changed when Calvin was screwed by it.

Posted by cobra on 1/11/2015 9:20:00 PM (view original):
forget the catch/no-catch

what kind of 4th and 2 call is that?!

A 50/50 jump ball is your season on the line play call????

Unorthodox, sure, but that was the beauty of it. With a WR like Dez, the odds are well on the Cowboys side for either a catch or penalty. The call that cost the Cowboys more was the pass on 3rd down at the end of the 1st half, after the reversed Witten 1st down. Even if they make their FG, giving Rogers time to go back down the field was just DUMB.

The opinion of the people who count felt there was enough evidence to overturn the call. 

Posted by all3 on 1/12/2015 10:13:00 AM (view original):

Posted by cobra on 1/11/2015 9:20:00 PM (view original):
forget the catch/no-catch

what kind of 4th and 2 call is that?!

A 50/50 jump ball is your season on the line play call????

Unorthodox, sure, but that was the beauty of it. With a WR like Dez, the odds are well on the Cowboys side for either a catch or penalty. The call that cost the Cowboys more was the pass on 3rd down at the end of the 1st half, after the reversed Witten 1st down. Even if they make their FG, giving Rogers time to go back down the field was just DUMB.

I'd argue running the ball with the best o-line and one of the best RBs in football is a much higher percentage play. Obviously the reward on a throw like that is much higher.

I'm sure Bryant wasn't the only option on that play.   It's the option Romo chose.

That's also true. His decision was to throw to a covered wide receiver on 4th and 2, as his first option. He looked at him immediately and threw it.

Posted by all3 on 1/12/2015 10:08:00 AM (view original):
Regardless of how terrible the rule and/or call, from reaction of fans and "experts" at all levels, there obviously was not "indisputable" evidence to reverse the original call (whatever it would have been). That happened numerous times this post-season so far. Instant replay has become a total joke.

That's the result of the rule defining something as not a catch that to virtually everyone's eye sure as hell looks like a catch, and everyone who is commenting on it not understanding the rule and the fact that Bryant was never not going to the ground supercedes the whole "football move" thing, not a lack of indisputable evidence.

As the rule is currently written, the call is clear and correct - the outcry is from people who either don't understand the actual rule, or don't like it.  It was the same thing that happened with the Calvin Johnson play, which was indisputably the right call by the rule, but made the rule look silly, because everyone's eye said "That's clearly a catch."

The process rule was put in place to clarify much more debatable situations where the player takes the ball to the ground. Unfortunately, it also has taken some situations like these, where no one would have even debated that a catch was made prior to the process rule, and defined them as incomplete.

The problem with the rule, the way I've always seen it, involves two things:

1.  The ground can't cause a fumble, but the ground CAN cause an incompletion.  Therefore:

2.  The ruling for what is a catch is different when the player is on his feet, than when he's going to the ground.  In the NFL's mind, which needs to be explained to the fan, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE TYPES OF CATCHES.

I saw a play earlier this season, I believe it was Kelce of the Chiefs, caught a pass in stride just as his defender hit him.  Clean catch and hold.  Still running, two, three, maybe even four strides while falling.  Ball came out when he hit the turf at least a second after the hit.  It was ruled incomplete.

I'm fine with the rule, it's not like offense is hard to come by in this league. 11 players passed for 4,000 yards, back in 2005, it was 2.