It looked like the Washington Commanders had squared things up with the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter on Sunday, but a truly baffling call snatched a touchdown right out of their hands. What should have been a game-tying score turned into a massive head-scratcher that immediately had everyone talking.
The Call That Still Makes No Sense
Quarterback Marcus Mariota dropped a dime to receiver Dyami Brown for what appeared to be an absolutely stunning 35-yard touchdown grab. On the field, the refs initially ruled it an incomplete pass. But watching the replay, you saw Brown clearly corral the ball, make the catch, and keep his feet in bounds for the score. The Commanders knew it, too, throwing the challenge flag. Everyone watching, myself included, figured this was an easy flip to a touchdown. Yet, after what felt like an eternity under review, the call of an incomplete pass was upheld. They said Brown lost control. Lost control? Are you kidding me?
Blandino Agrees: It Was A Touchdown!
Thankfully, it wasn’t just us fans yelling at the TV. FOX Sports’ rules analyst Dean Blandino, who knows this stuff inside and out, came right out and said he disagreed with the decision. “I believe what they are ruling is that they couldn’t determine if he had control when he hit the ground,” Blandino stated, laying out the exact problem. He didn’t mince words: “To me, the left knee is in, he has control, slight movement is not a loss of control. That’s a touchdown in my opinion.” Preach, Dean! This isn’t just some armchair quarterbacking, this is an expert confirming what our eyes told us. Instead of tying the game, the Commanders were forced to settle for a field goal, bringing the Cowboys’ lead to 17-13 after a six-play, 31-yard drive. That’s a huge difference in a divisional matchup, all thanks to a questionable ruling.
Adding Injury to Insult
As if the blown touchdown call wasn’t enough, the Commanders had an even bigger problem unfolding right before that review. Before the incompletion ruling was even upheld, quarterback Jayden Daniels went down with an apparent elbow injury. You hate to see it, especially in a critical divisional game like this. Daniels was carted off the field, headed straight for further tests. That meant Mariota was under center to finish out the NFC East slugfest, taking over the reins after that hugely impactful sequence of events. You just hope Daniels’ injury isn’t as bad as it looked.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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