Examining whether Ryan’s overturned TD was the right call

Deen Worley

With six minutes left to play in Sunday’s game in Buffalo, the Falcons had the ball in the red zone. On second and goal, quarterback Matt Ryan took off from the pocket and scrambled for what appeared to be a touchdown.

Ryan then stood in the face of Bills defender Jordan Poyer and spiked the ball in his face, which drew a taunting penalty. Initially, this flag was well received among Falcons fans because it showed a different side of emotion from Ryan. However, that penalty would become costly when the referees overturned the touchdown and Atlanta would fail to score any points.

Let’s check out the play and see if the referees robbed Atlanta of seven points, or if they made the right call.

There is no denying that Ryan got the ball into the end zone untouched, but that’s not where the confusion lies. The touchdown was overturned due to the ref citing that Ryan gave himself up short of the end zone. When looking at it on replay, the ref was right in calling Ryan down.

Below is the moment where Ryan’s knee touched the ground when he fell and leaned forward.

When Ryan’s knee touches the ground, the ball is clearly well short of the goal line. A 2018 rule change emphasized how officials should view a QB who gives himself up.

“Regardless whether the slide is feet first or head first, as long as he gives himself up, he should receive the protections afforded to him as a player in a defenseless posture.”

When Ryan got to the two-yard line, he didn’t dive or lunge forward to advance the play. Even though he fell in a forward motion, he did so in a manner that wasn’t consistent with a player extending the ball and getting those extra yards. If anything, Ryan fell and simply hoped his momentum would carry him forward for the score. This could be due to Poyer running straight up to Ryan and Ryan falling, instead of diving, to brace for the hit.

Per the NFL rulebook, Ryan was rightfully called down:

(d) when a runner declares himself down by:

1. falling to the ground, or kneeling, and clearly making no immediate effort to advance.

2. sliding. When a runner slides feet or head first, the ball is dead the instant he touches the ground with anything other than his hands or his feet.

Speaking of the hit Ryan took from Poyer, it wouldn’t be unjust to say the ref missed that. If given the fact that Ryan was deemed down, the hit from Poyer should also be deemed as late and thus a penalty — offsetting the taunting call. Plus, it seemed as if Ryan’s taunt of Poyer was as a direct result of the late hit itself.

The play, which would’ve brought to Falcons to within seven points with just over six minutes to play, resulted in failed attempts on third and fourth down from the 16-yard line.

Atlanta wouldn’t regain possession the rest of the game.

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