[Gifs] Shedding Some Light On Wheaton’s…Incomplete Pass?

What happened on Wheaton’s TD catch incomplete pass?

There has been a little quiet debating these past couple of days after the game, about Wheaton’s incomplete catch that seemed to be a clear TD (2^nd quarter, 3-3 score). Since 1 TD didn’t affect the outcome, this has somehow gone under the radar.

Here’s what happened:

Ben took a snap and looked all the way to Wheaton, who ran close to the pylon while being pushed by Melvin White (Carolina’s CB #23) out of bounds (there’s not a single clear TV angle where we can be sure his foot was out of bounds).

After the play, the referee says “Runner stepped out of bounds, did not re-establish inbounds before catching the ball, incomplete pass”.

According to the NFL Rulebook:

ILLEGAL TOUCHING OF A FORWARD PASS
Article 8 Illegal Touching of a Forward Pass.

It is a foul for illegal touching if a forward pass (legal or illegal), thrown from behind the line of scrimmage:
(a) is first touched intentionally or is caught by an ineligible offensive player; or
(b) first touches or is caught by an eligible receiver who has gone out of bounds, either of his own volition or by being legally forced out of bounds, and has re-established himself inbounds.
Penalty: Loss of five yards.
A.R. 8.15 Third-and-10 on B40. On a legal forward pass, eligible end A1 is blocked out of bounds on the B36. He returns to the field of play, catches pass, and scores.
Ruling: No score. The player became an ineligible receiver by going out of bounds. A’s ball third-and-15 on B45.

So, even if he was or was not pushed out of bounds, it should have been a 5 yard penalty, and a replay of 3rd down.

Mike Pereira, former chief of officiating in the NFL and current TV analyst, took this issue up on his twitter account, stating 3 premises:

• According to what the ref said, it was a 5 yard penalty, and should have been 3^rd & G from Carolina’s 11 yardline.
• It should have been called a pass interference.
• Pittsburgh should have challenged.

Here’s what he said about it:

It is the deep officials call to rule he had stepped out of bounds. He had reestablished so it really should have been an illegal touch.

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 22, 2014

With an illegal touch, the penalty would have been 5 yards and still 3rd down. Pitt should have challenged.

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 22, 2014

All of that being said, it should have been pass interference. The ball is in the air and he is riding him out of bounds.

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 22, 2014

Here’s a look at the play in slow motion, as well as from the All-22 views available. Click on the image to play or stop the gifs.