Early in Sunday’s Patriots game, Bill Belichick appeared to attempt to challenge a would-be Miami Dolphins fumble.
He should have been allowed to.
On the play, officials ruled that running back Raheem Mostert’s forward progress had been stopped before he lost possession of the ball. That was an incorrect call, as replays clearly showed the ball came loose as soon as safety Jabrill Peppers hit Mostert.
Forward progress calls, however, typically are “not reviewable,” as Belichick said in a Monday morning video conference. So, the Patriots were out of luck. Miami retained possession but later punted and went on to lose 23-21 at Gillette Stadium.
But a report Monday from ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio indicated this particular forward progress call actually was reviewable thanks to a tweak to the NFL rulebook made last year.
From ProFootballTalk:
PFT checked with the league office today and was told that while forward progress is not reviewable, there are aspects that can be reviewed if forward progress is ruled.
And a little-noticed change to the rule on reviewing forward progress was made in 2022 that directly relates to the blown call in Sunday’s game. On page 7 of the Instant Replay Casebook, a situation similar to Mostert’s fumble is addressed. The three words in italics were added in 2022:
“If on-field officials rule forward progress, then replay can only review the position of the ball in relation to the line to gain or goal line and can rule that there is a fumble (with clear recovery) if possession is lost prior to or simultaneously with the defensive contact.” …
Those three words that were added to the Instant Replay Casebook made a big difference, but they were widely overlooked. Including, it appears, by Belichick and the officials who told him there was nothing that could be reviewed on the play in question on Sunday.
NFL referee-turned-analyst Gene Steratore said the same Sunday on social media, tweeting that the call “is reviewable” because “the ball came loose following immediate contact and there was a clear recovery.”
The blown call and challenge mishandling didn’t wind up costing the Patriots, who remain alive for a playoff spot entering this Sunday’s regular-season finale in Buffalo.
