Up 7-3 on the Buffalo Bills at home, the Patriots put together a 17-play drive, their longest of the season, that lasted nearly nine minutes and spanned the majority of the second quarter. A penalty just outside the Bills’ red zone stalled the Patriots momentum, and they eventually settled for a field goal to go up 10-3.
The drive could have ended much differently, however, if officials had called intentional grounding on Tom Brady on a 1st-and-10 play from his own 34-yard line. Brady was put under pressure by the Bills’ rush and Shaq Lawson was close to pulling Brady down for a huge loss, but Brady flung the ball out to his right to an open area.
The ball landed just short of the Pats’ 25-yard line, and the closest Patriots receiver was more than 10 yards away down the sideline. Officials did not throw a flag, however, and announced that Rex Burkhead was “in the area” of the attempt.
Per the NFL’s rulebook, officials ruled on the spot that Burkhead had a “realistic chance” of catching this ball.
Via NFL.com:
“It is a foul for intentional grounding if a passer, facing an imminent loss of yardage because of pressure from the defense, throws a forward pass without a realistic chance of completion. A realistic chance of completion is defined as a pass that is thrown in the direction of and lands in the vicinity of an originally eligible receiver.”
The no-call turned what would have been a 2nd-and-very-long into a 2nd-and-10, and the Patriots capitalized. NFL fans couldn’t believe it.
[jwplayer fkt6T8Vo-q2aasYxh
