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The ' defense lifted the team to the verge of the Super Bowl, rolling into the AFC championship game following two terrific showcases. After stifling Justin Herbert and the in the wild-card round, then C.J. Stroud and the in the divisional round, the Patriots' defense had momentum heading into Sunday's game against Jarrett Stidham and the . For a moment, the Patriots appeared to continue their defensive dominance in the first half of the AFC Championship Game, scoring a defensive touchdown on a Stidham fumble. But then, the official Tyrese Black Jersey reconvened to rule against their initial call and New England's touchdown was taken off the board. Here's a look at the controversial call that turned a Patriots fumble recovery touchdown into a backward-pa s during their eventual 10-7 win. MORE: Jarrett Stidham fumble While Stidham had a touchdown pa s in the first quarter of the AFC championship game on Sunday his starting debut of the season he made a ma sive mistake toward the end of the second quarter. On a 3rd and 4 from his own 33-yard line, Stidham couldn't find a receiver, stumbling backward as New England's pre sure came in. Stidham appeared to fake a throw, then was taken to the ground. The ball came free, and after Elijah Ponder picked it up for the Patriots, the officials blew their whistles to call the play dead despite Ponder taking it into the end zone afterward. Play is ruled a fumble and ball NEvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on NFL (@NFL) Did Jarrett Stidham fumble? As things appeared, Stidham had fumbled on the play Christian Elli s poked the ball free while Stidham had it in front of his body. But from a slower angle, it was a more complicated call. Stidham was attempting to make a sort of pa s as the ball came out, and the officials got together to look at the play. Stidham was also initially called for intentional grounding. But after a review, officials determined that he was attempting a backward pa s, making the live ball a fumble. The Patriots got the ball at the 12-yard line instead of a defensive touchdown. The officials reversed their own call on the backward pa s, as neither team challenged on the initial call. Jarrett Stidham fumbles inside his own redzone and the Patriots recovered the ball. The refs blew it dead?? SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) Backwards pa s by Stidham, refs reverse their own call without a challenge Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) Postgame, Stidham said he "can't put the team in a bad situation like that" and he thought he had "thrown it forwards." Jarrett Stidham on the backwards pa s(fumble): Obviously I cant put our team in a bad situation like thatI cant put the ball in a position like thatI thought I had thrown it forwardsprobably shouldve just eaten the sack. Brandon Krisztal (@BKDenverSports) MORE: Why Patriots were not awarded defensive touchdown Because the officials had blown the play dead with whistles after the Patriots recovered the fumble, Eli s' following run into the end zone was not counted. The review of the play resulted in it being considered a backwards pa s and fumble recovered by the defense, but New England got the ball on the 12-yard line instead of a score. Had the officials not blown the play dead too far in advance, the Patriots would've scored. It wound up not affecting the Patriots too much anyway though, as Maye took a designed run into the end zone just moments later. DRAKE MAYE DOES IT HIMSELF NEvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on NFL (@NFL) Jafar Armstrong Jersey |
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