Was Patriots QB Mac Jones Stymied By SkyCam On INT vs. Bears?
FOXBORO — When New England Patriots fans see their team’s name mentioned in the same sentence as the word ‘camera,’ their first reaction is usually to roll their eyes and reach for the antacids.
However, a bit of social media sleuthing appears to have shed some new light on one of the most polarizing moments of the Pats 33-14 Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
With just over 13 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones took the snap on 2nd-and-10 from the Bears 36-yard line. Jones evaded pressure in the pocket, running to his right, facing an imminent hit from Chicago defender Mike Pennel (who was later ejected for an egregious and illegal hit on center David Andrews, which landed the team captain in concussion protocol).
In order to prevent the inevitable, Jones back-peddled and forced a pass off of his back foot intended for tight end Jonnu Smith. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker was able to adjust back into position to make a brilliant one-handed interception. It would be Jones’ final pass of the night, as he was soon relieved by rookie Bailey Zappe.
While the ‘Jones vs. Zappe-Patriots Quarterback Controversy' argument continues to circulate, a wrinkle was added to the mix in the form of an additional camera angle which seemed to show Jones’ pass making slight contact with the SkyCam cable, which was installed for the ESPN broadcast of Monday Night Football.
While the above footage is ultimately inconclusive, a closer screenshot of the pass provided further evidence that the ball appears to have graced the cable just enough to begin a very slight downward tilt.
Why would this be significant, you may ask?
Well … NFL Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1 (p), states that “if a loose ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.”
On that basis, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots seemingly had grounds to throw a challenge flag and ask for a replay of the down.
It is also important to note that the success of said challenge would depend on the presence of conclusive video evidence to support it. While the above alternative angles may provide a deeper look, the broadcast angle available would not likely have been enough to convince the officials to overturn the interception.
ESPN, in attempt to control the damage from the now viral social media post, issued a statement, which they believe will contradict the aforementioned assumptions.
Does that settle the matter?
Not so fast…
With all due respect, Patriots fans may have a bit of difficulty in whole-heartedly accepting the network’s forensic analysis, given previous … blunders.
In the final analysis, the point is most likely a moot, in that Jones’ throw was ill-advised, forced and would almost certainly have been subject to interception by Brisker, who was in a position to make a phenomenal play. The alleged contact, whether it happened or not, was probably not enough to change the direction of Jones’ pass.
Still, it does raise the question. Had the Patriots challenged the ruling, and won … would Jones have remained in the game.
Unfortunately, it looks like we will never know for sure.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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