The Cowboys defense looked to be in for a long dogfight against quarterback Justin Fields and the Jets at the start of Week 5’s game at MetLife Stadium. New York’s opening drive was progressing methodically, covering 59 yards and eating up nearly half the first quarter over 11 offensive plays. Operating from inside the Dallas 10, a Jets touchdown seemed inevitable… but then Dante Fowler’s fortuitous block of a Fields pass brought up fourth down and limited the damage to just a field goal.
The early drive-killing moment buoyed the Cowboys on both defense and offense and helped shift the tone for what turned into, at one point, a 27-point Dallas lead.
But it turns out it shouldn’t have counted.
Fowler put himself in front of Fields’s pass, which bounced hard off his facemask, and sent the ball straight up and back. As it hung in the air, it even appeared as if defensive tackle Kenny Clark might have a chance at collecting the ball as it fell for an interception.
But the ball instead hit the Fox skycam suspended over the field and caromed to the turf awkwardly. The ensuing incomplete call brought up fourth down and led the Jets to bring out kicker Nick Folk.
But Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk was quick to point out that interference should have been called, and the down should have been re-played, giving New York another shot at the end zone from the 7.
Florio noted that the NFL rulebook states: “[I]f a loose ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.”
It is the same rule that mandates a do-over if, say, a punt hits the massive videoboard that hangs above the playing surface at AT&T Stadium, as has happened several times.
Officials on the field at MetLife Stadium did not stop play to discuss the incomplete ruling. Replay assist did not signal for a stoppage for further review. Jets coaches did not challenge the play, though they could have.
It was an odd moment in the game that seemed mildly unlucky at the time, as Clark might have had a pick-six had he been able to haul in the blocked pass.
It turns out the ball falling incomplete might have been a game-changing break, with the game possibly going in a very different direction had the Jets been granted the re-do they rightfully had coming.
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