Saints on the Wrong End of a Second Disputed Fumble Ruling in Three Weeks
Tyler Shough thought his arm was going forward when Malcolm Koonce hit him in the fourth quarter against Las Vegas. The league said he had lost control first, a different standard than the one applied when Jared Goff's fumble was overturned in Week 1.
For the second time in three games, a sack-fumble ruling went against the New Orleans Saints at a decisive moment. In the fourth quarter of Sunday's 35-27 loss to Las Vegas, Raiders linebacker Malcolm Koonce hit Tyler Shough's arm, the ball came out, and Maxx Crosby recovered. It was ruled a fumble and the call stood.
What did the league say?
"The quarterback clearly lost control of the ball before his hand was coming forward," said Mark Butterworth, the NFL's vice president of instant replay. Shough saw it differently: "I thought I threw it. I thought my arm was going forward." The turnover was one of four straight by the Saints, who had led 27-16 midway through the third quarter.
Why does Week 1 matter here?
In the opener at Detroit, a Chase Young sack-fumble of Jared Goff that the Saints returned for a touchdown was overturned to an incomplete pass, with the referee citing Goff's intent to throw under the rule that an intentional hand movement starts a forward pass. New Orleans lost that game 31-30 in overtime. On Sunday, Butterworth's explanation turned on whether the hand was coming forward with control of the ball. The Saints are 1-2, and both rulings went the other team's way.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Saints again on losing end of controversial fumble ruling
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