The official ruling on this play was an incomplete pass and a defensive pass interference on 49ers LB Michael Wilhoite. I do not agree with the official ruling. I think it should be a touchdown, regardless of any of the rules of football.
Let's recap what happens here.
- Cardinals TE Jermaine Gresham reaches over Wilhoite's body to make a catch. This is where Wilhoite gets called for pass interference.
- The ball ricochets off Gresham's hands.
- The ball ricochets off the back of Wilhoite's helmet.
- Gresham tries to control the ball with his right hand.
- When Gresham tries to bring the ball from his right hand into his left hand, he accidentally spikes it downwards towards the ground for a sure incomplete.
- The ball doesn't hit the ground! It bounces off of Wilhoite's left foot and back up.
- AND IT BOUNCES RIGHT TO CARDINALS TE TROY NICKLAS FOR A THING THAT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The pass is ruled incomplete because Wilhoite's right foot was out of bounds when the ball hit the left foot.
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That's completely the right call and makes perfect sense, but at the same time, I think it's stupid and I hate it. After all those dings and bounces, the ball ended up in a man's hands without touching the ground. That defies logic, and therefore we should not use the NFL's hypothetically logical rules to govern it.
The Cardinals scored two plays later, because of the defensive pass interference, but whatever. They were robbed.
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