Nate Burleson Video: Watch Burleson's Best Impression of Calvin Johnson

Thanks to Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, all NFL fans now know that a reception isn't really a reception unless the receiver completes the process of the catch.

In so many words, that involves holding on to the ball no matter how finished a given play may seem.

On Sunday, we very nearly got another reminder of the rule from Johnson's Lions teammate, Nate Burleson. He caught what looked to be a clear touchdown pass early on in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, but it was ruled incomplete because he didn't complete the process of the catch.

If you missed it, you can watch the play in the above video. As you will see, Burleson clearly wandered into a gray area.

Burleson clearly had two feet inbounds, stumbled out of bounds and then put the ball on the ground. Every Lion fan packed into Ford Field roared, but the officials calmly signaled an incomplete pass. Shortly after they did, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz threw the challenge flag.

Ultimately, Schwartz's decision was rewarded, as head official Mike Carey overturned the call. As explained by FOX Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira, Carey determined that Burleson had held on to the ball long enough.

Which was the right call, of course. The very notion of a player having to "complete the process" of a catch is vague, and it just didn't make sense to apply it to Burleson. He had possession, two feet inbounds and didn't lose the ball until he was well out of bounds, so bringing technicalities into the discussion bordered on being mean spirited.

Come to think of it, many people were saying the same thing when Megatron's catch was ruled incomplete last year. Maybe this a rule that the NFL should consider changing. At the very least, they need to make the definition a little clearer.