Replay overturned a touchdown by Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson with 2:58 remaining. Hockenson showed his disbelief when referee Bill Vinovich announced the ruling.
He was livid after the 28-22 loss to the Eagles, arguing he had “control [of the ball] the whole time.”
“There was nothing to overturn it,” Hockenson said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “I mean, I was out there. I felt it. Hands under the ball; snag it; and I don’t understand. I don’t basically understand the catch rule at this point. . . . I don’t understand how New York can call in and just be like, ‘Yeah, that’s not a catch,’ when there was no evidence that it wasn’t. I mean, I had it. I think it’s ridiculous.”
Hockenson said two members of the officiating crew disagreed with the overturn.
Hockenson’s play on third-and-2 from the Philadelphia 15. They ended up burning another 1:01 off the clock before settling for a Will Reichard field goal with 1:57 left. The Vikings did not see the ball again.
In a pool report, vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said there was clear and obvious video evidence that the ball hit the ground as Hockenson landed.
“The ruling on the field was a touchdown,” Butterworth said, “so it’s replay’s jurisdiction to stop the game. We used broadcast-enhanced shots to show that as he was going to the ground — he needs control of the ball throughout the process of the catch — he lost control of the ball. The ball hit the ground. Then, he regained control of the ball. So therefore, we overturned it to an incomplete pass.”
The Vikings went 1-for-6 in the red zone, and Carson Wentz threw two interceptions, including one that Jalyx Hunt returned 42 yards for a touchdown.
“It is what it is,” Hockenson said of his overturned touchdown. “Got to move on to other plays. . . . I mean you can’t go one for six [in the red zone] and win a ball game with two turnovers. We had the [opportunity] at the end, obviously. But yeah, tough one.”
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