10-04-2016, 06:41 AM
That time the Browns recovered a fumble and no one noticed
A regular analysis of strategy, decisions and calls that impacted the week of NFL play -- with help from ESPN senior analytics specialist Brian Burke among other resources.
Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. is hit by Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, left, and inside linebacker Will Compton (51) during the second half Sunday.
Poets and songwriters have been saying it for centuries: Sometimes what you're looking for was right in front of you all along.
Take a look at the photograph below. At the top, you'll see NFL line judge Sarah Thomas approaching a pile of players after a fumble. Thomas is doing what officials are tasked to do in those situations: Find the football and determine possession.
On the left is Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. He's the guy who fumbled the ball with nine minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the game. Now he's raising it with his right hand for Thomas and the rest of the world to see.
![[Image: 1f02f81030af960920b1.jpg]](http://www.use.com/images/s_2/1f02f81030af960920b1.jpg)
Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor is the player walking off the field at the top. He already has seen Johnson with the ball and pointed in the Browns' direction. The player facing Johnson is offensive lineman Joel Bitonio, and you can see him noticing the ball as well.
So the Browns kept possession, right?
Well ...
Even as Johnson held the ball high above his head, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and Washington Redskins linebacker Will Compton were wrestling at the bottom of the pile next to him. What they were wrestling for, or with, is anyone's guess.
Noticing their struggle, several other players dropped to the ground in search of the ball. Thomas focused her gaze toward the action and awarded Compton the ball as umpire Shawn Smith and back judge Steve Freeman approached.
There is no point on the broadcast video of the game when we see Compton with the ball, despite his earnest attempts in the pile to find it. Nor can we see any moment at which Thomas, Smith or Freeman looked at Johnson.
What in the world happened here? And why didn't the NFL's replay system, which reviews all fumbles awarded to the opposing team, not fix it?
According to ESPN Cleveland Browns reporter Pat McManamon, Browns players heard Thomas tell the other officials that she saw a Redskins player with the ball and that Johnson grabbed it from him afterwards. To be fair, we've all seen that happen from time to time. Sometimes it fools officials, who are required by the NFL rule book to award possession to the first player who "secures possession of a loose ball after it has touched the ground" -- not the one who has the ball at the end of the action.
There is no evidence of that explanation on the game video. When you watch the full play at live speed, it sure looks like Johnson fumbled the ball, grabbed it himself and stood up with it in a matter of a second or two. The parallel universe that formed next to him was bizarre and yet not uncommon amid the chaos of an NFL game.
Replay is supposed to provide a safety net in these situations, but unfortunately for the Browns, there was no angle that showed a clear view of Johnson recovering the ball on the ground. An NFL spokesman told McManamon there was "nothing definitive" to see, and that's accurate. The league's standard for overturning calls on replay is that it's "clear and obvious" a mistake was made. There is a moment or two when we can't see the ball on the replay, allowing for the possibility that the on-field ruling was correct.
The play marked a significant turn in the game. The Redskins had just taken a 24-20 lead, and regaining possession raised their win probability from 63.6 percent to 86.5 percent in what would be a 31-20 victory.
Mistakes are made in every NFL game -- by officials, players and coaches alike. You can count on that continuing as long as humans are involved. In this case, however, we have a visual that accentuates it for posterity.
A regular analysis of strategy, decisions and calls that impacted the week of NFL play -- with help from ESPN senior analytics specialist Brian Burke among other resources.
Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. is hit by Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, left, and inside linebacker Will Compton (51) during the second half Sunday.
Poets and songwriters have been saying it for centuries: Sometimes what you're looking for was right in front of you all along.
Take a look at the photograph below. At the top, you'll see NFL line judge Sarah Thomas approaching a pile of players after a fumble. Thomas is doing what officials are tasked to do in those situations: Find the football and determine possession.
On the left is Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. He's the guy who fumbled the ball with nine minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the game. Now he's raising it with his right hand for Thomas and the rest of the world to see.
Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor is the player walking off the field at the top. He already has seen Johnson with the ball and pointed in the Browns' direction. The player facing Johnson is offensive lineman Joel Bitonio, and you can see him noticing the ball as well.
So the Browns kept possession, right?
Well ...
Even as Johnson held the ball high above his head, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and Washington Redskins linebacker Will Compton were wrestling at the bottom of the pile next to him. What they were wrestling for, or with, is anyone's guess.
Noticing their struggle, several other players dropped to the ground in search of the ball. Thomas focused her gaze toward the action and awarded Compton the ball as umpire Shawn Smith and back judge Steve Freeman approached.
There is no point on the broadcast video of the game when we see Compton with the ball, despite his earnest attempts in the pile to find it. Nor can we see any moment at which Thomas, Smith or Freeman looked at Johnson.
What in the world happened here? And why didn't the NFL's replay system, which reviews all fumbles awarded to the opposing team, not fix it?
According to ESPN Cleveland Browns reporter Pat McManamon, Browns players heard Thomas tell the other officials that she saw a Redskins player with the ball and that Johnson grabbed it from him afterwards. To be fair, we've all seen that happen from time to time. Sometimes it fools officials, who are required by the NFL rule book to award possession to the first player who "secures possession of a loose ball after it has touched the ground" -- not the one who has the ball at the end of the action.
There is no evidence of that explanation on the game video. When you watch the full play at live speed, it sure looks like Johnson fumbled the ball, grabbed it himself and stood up with it in a matter of a second or two. The parallel universe that formed next to him was bizarre and yet not uncommon amid the chaos of an NFL game.
Replay is supposed to provide a safety net in these situations, but unfortunately for the Browns, there was no angle that showed a clear view of Johnson recovering the ball on the ground. An NFL spokesman told McManamon there was "nothing definitive" to see, and that's accurate. The league's standard for overturning calls on replay is that it's "clear and obvious" a mistake was made. There is a moment or two when we can't see the ball on the replay, allowing for the possibility that the on-field ruling was correct.
The play marked a significant turn in the game. The Redskins had just taken a 24-20 lead, and regaining possession raised their win probability from 63.6 percent to 86.5 percent in what would be a 31-20 victory.
Mistakes are made in every NFL game -- by officials, players and coaches alike. You can count on that continuing as long as humans are involved. In this case, however, we have a visual that accentuates it for posterity.
