In the NFL rulebook, it’s as clear as day that the Detroit Lions were screwed by an uncalled intentional grounding against the Chicago Bears.
Let’s get one thing straight: the Detroit Lions did not play well enough to defeat the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The offense was dreadful in the second half, and the defense was once again terrible on third down.
However, there was a point in this game when the Lions did not receive any favors from the officials. In the third quarter of a 13-13 tie, the Lions appeared to get a sack/fumble on third down, forcing the Bears to punt after an impossibly long fourth down.
However, after some deliberation, the officials determined that Justin Fields’ arm was moving forward and that the pass was incomplete. That call likely saved the Bears at least 10 yards.
After further review, that decision appears to be correct. Fields was almost sacked, but his arm is clearly moving forward and it’s out before he hits the ground.
The issue is that intentional grounding should have been called on the play. There was no available receiver in the area, and Fields was not in the pocket.
Before the Bears ran the next play, officials went on the record to say there was no intentional grounding on the play because Julian Okwara’s hit impacted the throw.
There is a rule in the rulebook that states that if a hit impacts the throw, it is not intentional grounding. Here’s the section in the NFL rulebook (I’ve highlighted it for clarity):
But here’s the problem. Okwara’s contact occurred BEFORE, not after, Fields’ throwing motion. The very next rule in the NFL rulebook states:
With the penalty and down, the Bears would almost certainly have punted. Instead, on fourth-and-13, the Bears went for it, forcing the Lions to jump offsides, and Fields connected with DJ Moore for a 38-yard touchdown pass to put the Bears up 19-13.
Of course, giving up a big play like that is completely unacceptable, but if the officials had called the previous play correctly, it would never have happened in the first place.
