Giants “got robbed” on controversial touchdown vs. Seahawks
The New York Giants 24-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks was not without some controversy.
With 9:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, what can only be described as a joint catch between Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson and Giants safety Landon Collins in the end zone. The Giants thought it was an interception. The Seahawks thought it was a touchdown.
Referee Tony Corrente and his crew ruled it was in fact a touchdown, giving Seattle a 10-point lead the Giants were unable to come back from. Corrente saw the sequence as Richardson catching the ball, losing it, and simultaneously regaining control as Collins made his play on the ball.
Needless to say, the Giants weren’t happy after the game.
“That was Landon all day. He got robbed,” cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. “I’m going to tell you why. The guy (Richardson) and made a great play, but when he came down he lost possession of the ball. So, he didn’t have it clear and then Landon took over and then he fought for it again. When you take over and you both hit the ground, whoever has it first is the winner. That is the rules.”
After the game, Corrente offered an explanation of his decision.
“They went to the ground simultaneously with the football,” Corrente said. “That catch is established because if the defender was to pull the ball out of his hands now, it’s still a catch because the defender was to pull the ball out of his hands now, it’s still a catch because the defender has a second action.
“So, at that point when they were on the ground together, and they’re tussling to begin with, the catch is over, that’s the touchdown. Now, after that is when he rolled over and we don’t have any clear view of, quote unquote, anything happening after that. So that’s where it stands.”
Head coach Ben McAdoo thought that by the time Richardson controlled the ball his leg was out of bounds. Corrente indicated that once both players had possession of the ball, even though Collins landed in bounds, the play was over with the advantage going to the offense.
The two players involved naturally had different reactions.
“It was a tough battle, man,” Richardson said. “I saw the ball man I got excited, I jumped early and everything for it, he tried to snatch it away from me. Good catch though.”
“I can’t remember if it was the Green Bay game or something like that,” Collins said. “I knew about it but at the same time I came down with the ball on my chest. Once I rolled over, he was trying to fight back into possession for it. Once that happened, he had no possession of the ball anymore, It’s crazy.”
– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for cover32 and covers the NFL and New York Giants. Please like and follow on Facebook and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @CuRawls203.
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