Despite everything, it is 2023, and we still do not know what clearly constitutes a catch in professional football. And unfortunately, the NFL’s bizarre rules only add confusion whenever a key catch sequence comes up.
Take this key end-of-first-half sequence between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals on Sunday as a perfect example.
After Arizona drove down to the red zone, Kyler Murray launched a perfect dime to his tight end, Trey McBride, who made an acrobatic catch for what appeared to be a touchdown. But this is the NFL, which insists that a catch’s “full process” be completed every time no matter what — a.k.a. the “Calvin Johnson Rule.” Upon further review, McBride’s almost-perfect catch was taken off the board as a result.
He wasted no time redeeming himself against a stout Pittsburgh defensive stand on the very next play:
CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore thought Cardinals TE Trey McBride had a touchdown vs the Steelers, on what was initially ruled a touchdown.
But after review, it was ruled incomplete.
McBride then scored a touchdown that actually counted on the next play. 🏈🦓👮♂️📺🎙️ pic.twitter.com/ll5AOe1hLl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 3, 2023
Even with the NFL’s nonsense catch rules, one evergreen rule trumps all in sports: ball don’t lie.
This was how Twitter reacted to McBride's sequence of a catch and "non-catch" in the end zone
Trey McBride dynasty managers (me) pic.twitter.com/ZWePqkpoEX
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 3, 2023
They went on and on and on laying out the case as to why this Trey McBride TD should stand and naturally…it was overturned 😂
But once again ball don’t lie, and McBride got one anyway #AZvsPIT pic.twitter.com/EOsrA4qeBo
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) December 3, 2023
Trey McBride: Ball don’t lie
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) December 3, 2023
TREY MCBRIDE BALL DON'T LIE
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) December 3, 2023
Trey McBride is kinda awesome
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) December 3, 2023
I didn't think the Trey McBride catch was a catch (and a touchdown) but what the hell do I know. Nobody knows what a catch is.
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) December 3, 2023
I hate that we have to talk about this every single week. @NFLOfficiating is completely broken.
Trey McBride got his TD in the end, but that play should never have happened. Time and again, refs have been making calls that are even confusing the TV crews.
— Kyler Burd (@AZCard_BurdsEye) December 3, 2023
If Diontae didn't catch it last week, Trey McBride didn't catch that
— Vilho Ruoste (@VRuoste) December 3, 2023
TREY MCBRIDE IS BALLIN RIGHT MEOW!!! BALL DONT LIE! pic.twitter.com/49KxXoDHuE
— Spencer Alexander (@SpencerAlexan10) December 3, 2023
