Chargers-Colts: Same Kind of Play, Same Result for Chargers

The San Diego Chargers game should have gone into overtime. Unfortunately, it did not Chargers fans. San Diego again is victimized by the same kind of call that helped the Denver Broncos beat them back in Week One.

The play was a completion to Anthony Gonzalez from Peyton Manning, as Gonzalez made his move up field he was stripped of the ball by the San Diego Chargers defense and the Chargers recovered it.

Since it happened so fast, it first looked like an incomplete pass, but upon further review of the play, Gonzalez had possession of the ball, made a football move up the field, and then got stripped by the Chargers player.

According to NFL rules, that is a fumble not an incomplete pass.

The ruling on the field though was an incomplete pass. Since the play was blown dead it couldn't be reviewed. Again, there wasn't anything the Chargers could do about it but play defense and hope to stop Peyton Manning and the Colts. The Chargers' defense did hold the Colts to a field goal.  

The Chargers went down the field and settled on a field goal to tie the game, but the Chargers gave the Colts too much time to go down the field. The Colts got into field-goal range and with about two seconds left on the clock Adam Vinatieri kicked a 51-yard field goal to win the game.

The NFL really needs to look into changing the rules on plays like that. The rule should be the whistle should not be blown unless it's an obvious incompletion. If it's even close, don't blow the whistle until the play is actually over.

If there's a question about if the receiver had possession of the ball, the refs can always review the play later on and get the call right, instead of getting the call wrong and not being able to do anything for the team that caused the turnover.