After the Bears took more than nine minutes off the first-quarter clock and missed a 48-yard field goal, the Vikings opted on their first play from scrimmage to take a shot.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs fired a rainbow to receiver Jordan Addison, who made a leaping catch in double coverage. The ruling on the field was incomplete.
“At the very end that ball touches the turf,” ESPN rules analyst John Parry declared.
Sorry, John, but no replay angle showed the ball striking the turf.
If anything, the two replay angles shown by the broadcast, when viewed together, suggested that Addison regained possession of the ball and kept it from landing on the fake grass of U.S. Bank Stadium.
The crowd was urging coach Kevin O’Connell to throw the red challenge flag. During his 15-minute post-game press conference, no one asked him whether he considered it.
He should have done it. For a net gain of 50 yards, it was worth the risk of losing a challenge and forfeiting a timeout.
Maybe 345 Park Avenue would have concluded that there was not “clear and obvious” evidence that the ruling on the field was incorrect. Or maybe whoever was making the decision would have decided, based on consideration of the two angles and application of common sense, that the ball couldn’t have touched the turf. Or maybe, during the replay process, another angle would have emerged showing more clearly that a catch was made.
Regardless, throw the red flag. It’s a 50-yard gain.
O’Connell likely had no one in his headset urging him to do it. Likewise, Addison didn’t act like someone who believed he’d been robbed of a long gain.
Still, it was close enough to justify the risk of getting the challenge wrong. For 10 yards, no. For 20 yards, no. For 50 yards, yes.