Poor Tim Tebow. Even without an NFL contract, he’s still taking hits.
In the wake of the controversial no-call that ended Monday night’s Patriots-Panthers game, much debate has ensued over the NFL’s exact definition of an uncatchable pass.
Some have argued that a pass can only be ruled uncatchable if it sails 10 or 15 yards out of bounds, while others have brought up the interesting notion that as receivers become more and more athletic, the definition of catchability continues to evolve.
Former NFL referee Jim Daopoulos, who was vocal in his opposition to both Clete Blakeman‘s no-call and ESPN officiating expert Gerry Austin‘s agreement with the ruling, had a different way of describing the uncatchable pass when he spoke with USA Today this week.
“We as officials have always been taught, for a ball to be uncatchable, it has to be clearly out of the field of play or it has to be a kind of — I probably shouldn’t say this — a Tim Tebow-type pass that lands 15 yards in front of you,” Daopoulos said.
Tebow was, of course, notorious for over- and underthrowing his receivers during his three NFL seasons. This lack of accuracy contributed to the Patriots’ decision to cut the former Heisman winner during the preseason and has likely played a major role in why — despite spirited pleas from fans — no team has elected to give him another shot.
Helmet sticker to For The Win for bringing this to our attention.
