Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Xavier Grimble (85) celebrates his touchdown with Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James (81) in the first quarter on November 26, 2017 against the Green Bay Packers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI |
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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James spoke out on the new catch rule on Tuesday, approximately three months after the old rule reversed his potential game-winning touchdown against the New England Patriots.
"It should have been a touchdown either way. Whether it was the old rule, or this new rule," James told the Steelers' official website after NFL teams unanimously voted in favor of modifications to the catch rule for the 2018 season at the league's owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.
"To reverse something on review, it has to be clear cut. I feel like they didn't do a good job on that. It's nice to have the rule clearer."
The new catch rule says that it is deemed a reception when the player has control of the ball, two feet down (or another body part), and makes a football move. A football move is defined as either a third step, reaching/extending for the line to gain, or the ability to perform such an act -- with on-field officials being required to judge whether it occurs.
The requirement to maintain control of the ball throughout the process of going to the ground no longer applies.
That comes into play in the case of James, whose goal-line non-catch against the Patriots in December would now be a reception.
"Clarification is good for the officials. The past few years it's been clear they don't know what they are calling. Game-to-game you see a different catch that should have been ruled a catch, or a catch that wasn't ruled a catch the week before. It's good to have a little bit more clarification to make it easier for the officials to make the right call.
"As long as the officials are calling it fair throughout, week-to-week, game-to-game, team-to-team. As long as it's all called fair it works for me. It's football. It's never going to change. There is human error all over the place. To make it simpler for the officials is always good."
James' apparent 10-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter was overturned after replay deemed that he didn't control the ball as he hit the ground, despite the tight end crossing the end zone.
"The rule still sounds about the same," James told Steelers.com. "I don't look too much at the rule book, I just play the game. It sounds to me what a catch was, hopefully there is more clarification for the officials. They needed that to be able to make the right call."
Two plays after James' catch was overturned, Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted in the end zone -- ultimately sealing the win for the Patriots.
