Mack Jones v Josh Dobbs fumbles

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-08-2023, 11:08 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: Well, I think the NFL got it wrong. I think both Dobbs and Jones plays were passes. If I were to try to argue it, I would say that the Dobbs play had a defender come from behind him so when he got hit, it's reasonable to believe the ball could have came forward whereas Jones was being pulled down and tossed the ball forward with his off hand without external assistance. However, watching this, it will be hard to convince me that this isn't a pass.

Was Josh Dobbs’ arm moving forward on this play? It was ruled a fumble. pic.twitter.com/xnLbIWzsmj

— NFL Unlimited (@NFLUnlimited) January 8, 2023

Just to get into the mechanical side of it...when i first saw the Dobbs replay, my first reaction was pass. When i first saw the Jones replay, my first reaction was fumble. 

Both plays had momentum where the ball could carry forward. In Dobbs case, it's a bit more sticky (mayyyyybe) because he rotates the ball late in his motion, so should it be seen strictly as arm moving forward or arm moving forward with the ball in a throwing position?

If a replay isn't able to conclusively determine that it was a pass or fumble because it happened around the precise moment it goes from fumble to pass, then any ref's eye can't tell the difference in real time, from a distance.

That's why they got it right in Jax, allowing the play to continue and letting replay fix it if it's wrong and they were wrong in NE because some ref was sure he saw the arm going forward...which there's no way in hell he could have done.