Drue Chrisman, take a bow!

[CJD]

(11-21-2022, 12:57 PM)Nepa Wrote: The announcers seemed to imply a safety if the returner didn't get out of the end zone, but wouldn't it really have been a touchback and ball out to the 20? The receiver never got possession, if I recall, until he was in the end zone. My  understanding is that if the returner doesn't have possession and it bounces into the end zone that it comes out to the 20. My thought at the time was that the returner made a mistake bringing it out. (Almost as bad as the KC kick returner that "saved" the kickoff from going out of bounds at the 5.)

If that's how the rule worked, punt returners would begin intentionally careening balls off their knees and ankles in an attempt to make them bounce into the end zone to get ~10 to 15 free yards on the touchback.