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UPDATE: On the field goal attempt, the NFL admitted it should have been a penalty. More here.
It's overtime in San Diego. The Chargers are facing a 4th-and-2 and line up in punt formation. Except it's not a punt. It's a fake! Chargers safety Eric Weddle takes the snap directly and rushes through the middle of the line.
Weddle is met with resistance right at the first down marker by Chiefs defenders. As he is leaning forward, a Chiefs player rips the ball out of his hands and a helmet comes off in the process. The Chiefs player runs it back for a touchdown.
Game over?
Nope. The refs ruled that Weddle did NOT fumble and that he did pick up the first down. This is understandable. But what is not understandable for many Chiefs fans is why this play was not reviewed.
Former NFL official and Fox broadcaster Mike Pereira talked about that play as it happened.
OK back to SD, forward progress was called on the field on the fake punt. With the replays we saw, we really can't tell if it was/wasn't.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 30, 2013
So why the heck wasn't it reviewed?
Forward progress is not reviewable.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 30, 2013
Ahh ... well that makes sense. It still sucks. But it makes sense.
That doesn't necessarily mean it was the right call though.
Not entirely sure about the fake punt in the SD/KC game. No announcement made except SD made line to gain. Hope to update you on @FFD tomoro
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 30, 2013
Replay did not stop the game because the ruling of forward progress is not reviewable. Should have been a strip and TD in my opinion.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 30, 2013
To recap: The play wasn't reviewed because forward progress can not be reviewed. But that doesn't mean the call was correct.
See the comments below for more questions about the play and why it wasn't reviewed.
Update: Another one!
Hate to add full to the fire, but some of my followers have pointed out that SD was in an illegal defensive formation on the missed FG
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 30, 2013
@MikePereira @ArrowheadPride Seems like an overload to me. pic.twitter.com/PtXry8bHA5
— Bryce W (@bdub371) December 30, 2013