I saw the Cruz catch. I just hunted up the Megatron catch.
Cruz had full control of the ball, made a "football move", crossed the plane, and the ground kicked the ball out.
Since he had control the whole time, it was a td when he broke the plane.
Now, in the Calvin video, they said he didn't have control. If you don't have control all the way to the ground, and ALSO retain control once you hit the ground, it's not a td.
At full speed it sure looked like Megatron had all kinds of control, but I'm looking at a grainy video with no replay.
The issue between the two plays is control and what constitutes it.
Cruz definitely had control, Megatron supposedly didn't.
Now, there's sort of a second part to this rule. Or maybe another way of looking at part of it.
A wide receiver must complete the catch after breaking the goal line for a touchdown to count, but a running back doesn't have to complete the run for it to count as a score. He just needs to break the plane.
That goes a step further.
Once a WR has made the catch
in the field of play, he's now a runner, and for all intents and purposes (regarding this rule), a running back.
Same thing here. Cruz had control in the field of play, turned into a runner, crossed the plane, play done, td. The ground doesn't come in play.
Calvin just plain didn't have control all the way to and including the ground (again, supposedly cause I can't see it), so his catch isn't affected by this part of the rule at all. It's just an incomplete pass.
Lots of words for an incomplete pass, eh?
Hope that helps, Matt!!!
