Despite withdrawn proposals, Rams remain salty about Seattle's two-point conversion
Last night, upon learning that the Rams have withdrawn two different rule proposals arising from the Seahawks' crazy Week 16 two-point play, we asked the Rams if they had any comment on the development. They did not.
On Thursday morning, Rams president Kevin Demoff did.
"Withdrawn but not forgotten in today's NFL you can pick up a ball after a play is whistled incomplete, turn around with it and walk back towards midfield and four minutes later have it count for two points," Demoff tweeted.
The rule that granted the Seahawks two points after a backward pass was deflected past the line of scrimmage and recovered casually by running back Zach Charbonnet isn't new. But it very rarely happens.
Making the situation worse (for the Rams) was the long delay in activating the replay process, thanks to the league not realizing it until Prime Video rules analyst Terry McAulay alerted NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson to the possibility that the ruling on the field of an incomplete pass was erroneous. Regardless, the league eventually got it right.
If Demoff still feels so strongly about the outcome, why withdraw the proposal? Force a vote on it. Require everyone in the room to say "yes" or "no" as to whether it makes sense to allow a backward pass to pinball forward and be recovered (and potentially advanced) under the specific circumstances the Holy Roller rule was designed to address.
Without action, Demoff's complaint rings hollow. If you don't like the rule, fight it. Propose a change every year. (Until, of course, the same thing happens in another game and it works to the Rams' benefit.)
Regardless, the coaching point remains as clear now as it was then. If there's a loose ball, pick it up. While that could potentially lead to an uptick in injuries when a mad scramble ensues for any bouncing ball after the whistle is blown, the situation flows from the change to the rules following a 2008 Chargers-Broncos game that killed the play the moment a Jay Cutler fumble was deemed on the field to be an incomplete pass but couldn't be awarded to the Chargers, who had recovered the ball, after replay corrected the call.
The only sensible fix is to ensure that the officials don't prematurely end a play when the ball hits the ground. Swallow the whistle and see who emerges with possession. Replay can fix it later - even if those situations result in more contact and more potential injuries.