By Bill Bradley, contributing editor
NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said Tuesday that the disputed catch by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Gresham near the end of the first half during Sunday's Wild Card Weekend playoff game properly stood because there wasn't enough video evidence to overturn the play.
"Is it a catch? The referee will have to make the determination, did the receiver have both feet down prior to him getting contacted, which sent him to the ground," Blandino said during his weekly segment on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access." "If that's the case, then he doesn't have to hold onto it when he hits the ground. So you're going to see control. Just as the second foot comes down, there's going to be contact, the alley goes to the ground. The referee determined that this was not part of the process. He'd completed the catch process, and therefore did not have to hold onto the football.
"We do feel that the ruling on the field stands, meaning that there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it. It's that close as to whether the second foot was clearly down. So we feel that the correct call in replay was to stay with the ruling on the field."
Blandino also had a tough call to make on Bengals running back Giovani Bernard's catch and fumble earlier in the second quarter. But Blandino said Bernard made "a football move."
"Again, it's close. The referee ruled stands, which means he didn't have enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field," Blandino said. "And we agree, because Bernard had control, two feet and it's questionable whether he had it long enough. And whenever it's questionable, we stay with the ruling on the field."
