Dez Bryant’s infamous catch, which was later deemed not a catch, for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers in a 2015 divisional playoff game still stands as one of the more controversial moments in recent NFL history. The play left many wondering what a catch actually is, and nearly a decade later, fans and analysts alike are still unclear about what qualifies as a catch and what doesn’t. The latest controversy stems from two different Week 9 moments, with the latest occurring during Thursday night’s battle between the Houston Texans and New York Jets. In a play that has been going viral since Thursday night, Jets receiver Garrett Wilson hauled in a superb one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone during the third quarter to give the Jets a 14-10 lead after the call on the field, deeming it incomplete was overturned. The catch has many calling it the best catch of the year, and it may even give Odell Beckham Jr.’s iconic catch a run for its money in the all-time conversation. However, fans are confused why Wilson’s counted, but a play made on Sunday by Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens in the team’s win over the New York Giants did not. As many learned on the broadcast on Sunday, Pickens’ catch didn’t count because he didn’t get both feet in but instead had the same foot hit twice. As for Wilson, he got a foot and a shin in, with a shin technically counting as a de facto two feet.
“Don’t know how Garrett Wilson’s shin being down counts more than Pickens getting the same foot down twice. It’s still only one leg,” wrote one fan. “If Garrett Wilson’s catch was a touchdown then so is George Pickens,” commented another.
99¢ for 2 months READ NOW SPORTS Garrett Wilson’s One-Handed Catch Has Stirred Up NFL Controversy BY KEVIN BORBA ATHLON SPORTS UPDATED NOVEMBER 01, 2024 4:00 PM Dez Bryant’s infamous catch, which was later deemed not a catch, for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers in a 2015 divisional playoff game still stands as one of the more controversial moments in recent NFL history. The play left many wondering what a catch actually is, and nearly a decade later, fans and analysts alike are still unclear about what qualifies as a catch and what doesn’t. The latest controversy stems from two different Week 9 moments, with the latest occurring during Thursday night’s battle between the Houston Texans and New York Jets. In a play that has been going viral since Thursday night, Jets receiver Garrett Wilson hauled in a superb one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone during the third quarter to give the Jets a 14-10 lead after the call on the field, deeming it incomplete was overturned. The catch has many calling it the best catch of the year, and it may even give Odell Beckham Jr.’s iconic catch a run for its money in the all-time conversation. However, fans are confused why Wilson’s counted, but a play made on Sunday by Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens in the team’s win over the New York Giants did not. As many learned on the broadcast on Sunday, Pickens’ catch didn’t count because he didn’t get both feet in but instead had the same foot hit twice. As for Wilson, he got a foot and a shin in, with a shin technically counting as a de facto two feet. A discrepancy that has led to a bit of outrage on social media. “Don’t know how Garrett Wilson’s shin being down counts more than Pickens getting the same foot down twice. It’s still only one leg,” wrote one fan. “If Garrett Wilson’s catch was a touchdown then so is George Pickens,” commented another. “If this is a catch by Garrett Wilson, then George Pickens getting one foot down twice should also be a catch,” added former Pro Bowl quarterback Robert Griffin III. Fans and analysts weren’t the only ones frustrated by the NFL’s ruling, as Pickens also took to social media to air out his frustrations with the league. “But that’s a catch,” Pickens wrote on Instagram. “NFL be having vendettas toward certain players. Never forget I said this.”
According to NFL Football Operations, a completed or intercepted pass counts if a player who is in bounds “touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.” The concept of a catch continues to be imperfect, and while NFL teams unanimously approved a simplified catch rule in 2018, they may need to go back to the drawing board.
