As football fans, we live in era during which seemingly everything can be instantly calculated and analyzed to painstaking accuracy.
We know that the Cleveland Browns’ Jerome Ford, for example, achieved a top speed of 21.13 mph during his 69-yard touchdown run against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
We watched as multiple NFL officials both on site at SoFi Stadium and at league headquarters in New York consulted perhaps as many as a dozen feeds zoomed in from high-definition cameras to confirm that the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua indeed made a legal catch during the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So, what the in the name of Amos Alonzo Stagg are we doing still relying on the 1930s-era method of an on-field official’s split-second guess to determine how to spot the ball at the end of a play?
Fans who follow Pittsburgh’s two highest-profile football teams have been asking themselves that after a weekend in which subjective ball-spotting played crucial roles in determining the outcomes for games involving Pitt on Saturday night and the Steelers the next day.
For the Panthers, it cost them a win. The Steelers, though, benefited from the archaic system when it helped ensure a Sunday win at the Los Angeles Rams.
In North Carolina…
First, the fiasco in Winston-Salem, N.C. Pitt was 8 yards away from its second consecutive win, needing to convert a third down with 61 seconds to play to beat Wake Forest. Holding a 17-14 lead while at their own 8-yard line, Panthers quarterback Christian Veilleux ran a keeper around left end and easily beat defenders to the line to gain.
BAD BEAT ALERT ????
Nursing a 3-point lead, Pitt QB Chris Veilleux gave himself up before reaching the first down marker.
Wake Forest (+120) would then drive down the field and score the game winning TD with 0:09 remaining.
— Covers (@Covers) October 21, 2023
But in an effort to keep the clock running, Veilleux wanted to stay in bounds. So, he decided to slide in the field of play.
The problem? His slide began precariously close to the first-down marker. Even though at full speed it looked like a first down with 45 seconds left, the line judge closest to the play quickly ruled Veilleux began his slide too soon. By rule, a feet-first slide results in the ball spotted where the slide began.
That meant the first down was not awarded, and Pitt had to punt on fourth-and-1. Wake Forest marched 48 yards in six plays over 33 seconds, and won the game.
Veilleux politely disagreed with the judgment. Safe to say some Pitt partisans were a little more vociferous in their objection to it.
First time I’ve watched the replay of the slide, Veilleux definitely got the first down. No debate. pic.twitter.com/ui2RnKMIxO
— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) October 22, 2023
I’ve had several folks send me screenshots showing that Pitt quarterback Christian Veilleux did indeed start his slide short of the first down marker. Live, I thought it might have been a fortunate call for the Deacs. Now I believe it was also the correct call. pic.twitter.com/20BRa79WZg
— Les Johns (@Les_Johns) October 22, 2023
Sorry, but this was NOT the right call. pic.twitter.com/UT6z3zfkc5
— A Freethinking Woman (@italianandfree) October 21, 2023
No. It’s not. It’s when you BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE SLIDE. Not when a body part hits. Veilleux started sliding behind the line to gain, so he’s short of the line to gain. Done. pic.twitter.com/swLnWi9iWs
— Greg (@GMZ5034) October 22, 2023
Pitt fans mad at the officials and not at Veilleux are way off. It’s not always applied consistently, but he started his slide before the line to gain. Jog out of bounds, take three knees, and head home with bowl hopes still alive. We have a sliding epidemic. https://t.co/fuPKH6TycL
— Matt Smith (@MattSmithCFB) October 22, 2023
BREAKING: Forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht dissects and debunks the Christian Veilleux slide. pic.twitter.com/akGx817Rei
— Tad Wissel (@DickAndSauce) October 22, 2023
In L.A….
Almost exactly 24 hours later, though, many of those same fans were applauding when officials spotted the ball after a Kenny Pickett QB sneak just before the 2-minute warning of the Steelers-Rams game.
Controversial finish to the Steelers-Rams game.
Pittsburgh goes for it on fourth-and-short. Kenny Pickett looks to be short on a QB sneak, but the officials give him the first down.
The Rams didn’t have a time-out and could not challenge. So the spot stood, ending the game. pic.twitter.com/bkhKPjsIpe
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 22, 2023
Both the initial eye test, in addition to slow-motion viewing of several angles on television, suggested Pickett did not gain the requisite yard needed to convert the fourth-down try from the Rams’ 39-yard line with the Steelers clinging to a seven-point lead.
But Los Angeles was out of timeouts, and by rule in the NFL any replay review of a play that does not result in points or a change in possession needs to be requested by a coach’s challenge — unless the play occurs inside of the final 2 minutes of a half. This snap just missed that criteria, so Rams coach Sean McVay was powerless to formally question the spot.
The Steelers were then able to run out the clock via three kneeldowns, securing a 24-17 road win.
Like the Veilleux play, reaction mostly depended on what team an individual was a partisan to.
Wild sequence in LA: With 2:12 remaining in the game, Kenny Pickett was clearly short of a first down on 4th and 1. The refs gave him the first down.
The Rams were out of timeouts, so they CAN’T challenge the spot.
PIT gets the first and will win.
The spot was awful. Rams…
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 22, 2023
That spot on the Kenny pickett sneak was EGREGIOUS. The refs can’t be serious
The Colts flag(s) at the end of the game & pass interference just called on the Rams were awful calls, but this spot on the Pickett sneak takes the cake. Just awful
— Ryan Hickey (@Ryan_Hickey3) October 22, 2023
Far be it for me to defend NFL officiating, but allow me to advance the hypothesis that the yellow line is the issue here, rather than the spot. LJ37 comes in from the bottom of the screen and appears to be spotting the ball correctly for where Pickett advanced, which is short… https://t.co/9Yrca7AdzO
— Ray Eckenrode (@15MinutesOnline) October 23, 2023
The spot on the Pickett sneak was ; ah; let’s say generous.
— James Kent (@Ochotexto19) October 23, 2023
NFL: Sean McVay’s face after refs’ spot. Rams HC couldn’t believe officials gave Kenny Pickett the game-sealing 1st in 24-17 loss to Steelers pic.twitter.com/59ALQJHBCG
— Alain Keith Cabardo Daguio (@keithdaguio) October 23, 2023
More than a few people recognized the Steel City karma, the football spot gods giveth and taketh away from Pittsburgh fans.
That very generous spot was the football gods settling up with Pittsburgh after last night’s Veilleux slide fiasco.
— Cale Berger (@cale_berger) October 22, 2023
This is a make-good for the Veilleux slide debacle. Good on the NFL for making it right.
— Tad Wissel (@DickAndSauce) October 22, 2023
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