NFL explains why Chris Ivory’s fumble in end zone against Chiefs was not overturned

If you were watching Sunday’s Chiefs-Jaguars game on television, you may have raised an eyebrow (as I did) when announcer Solomon Wilcots was discussing a fumble by Jacksonville’s Chris Ivory.

The Chiefs led 19-7 with 8:28 left in the game when Ivory reached for the end zone and fumbled. Cornerback Marcus Peters recovered in the end zone and it turned out to be a huge moment in the game.

Because it was a turnover, the play was reviewed, and TV viewers got to see what appeared to be Ivory in control of the ball as the tip of it crossed the front of the line. That’s a touchdown. When the referee came back and announced that the call stood, Wilcots informed viewers that the replay officials can’t freeze frame a play.

To which many people said: What the heck?

That included Mike Pereira, the rule analyst at Fox Sports and a former Vice President of Officiating in the NFL, who said Wilcots was wrong. However, Pereira thought the touchdown should have counted.

Dean Blandino, the Senior Vice President of Officiating for the NFL, tweeted a blow-by-blow of the play and his explanation of why the fumble call stood.

This story was originally published November 7, 2016 at 9:58 AM.