National Football League

Correct use of momentum spot cost Packers five points against Lions

Published Sep. 21, 2014 2:51 p.m. ET

foxsports

Big Foot Sightings are rare. Same with Big Mo.

But there he was in Detroit on Sunday, and it resulted in a gigantic turnaround for the Lions, who were playing the Packers.

What I’m talking about is an intercepting momentum play. How often do you hear that? Even if you’re me, not that often.

Here was the situation:

Detroit had the ball, third-and-10 at the Green Bay 49-yard line with 13:36 left in the second quarter and the score tied, 7-7. Lions quarterback Matt Stafford attempted a long pass to Calvin Johnson that was intercepted on a diving catch by Davon House at the Packers’ 1-yard line. House rolled into the end zone after making the catch and the play was called a touchback. After a review, the call was reversed and the ball was placed down at the 1-yard line.

How big was it? On the next play, the Lions’ Isa Abdul-Quddus tackled the Packers’ Eddie Lacy in the end zone for a safety, giving the Lions a 9-7 lead and the ball because of the safety.

So here’s the rule:

If a defender intercepts a pass or catches a kick and his own momentum takes him into the end zone, then there is a momentum spot created in the field of play. So instead of a safety, which is what you’d normally have if you took the ball into your own end zone, you get the ball at the intercepting spot.

In other words, you get the ball where House completed the interception, which in this case was the 1-yard line. It wouldn’t be fair to call it a safety because he intercepted the ball at the 1-yard line and his momentum carried him into the end zone.

With the safety, the Lions got the ball back and on the next drive went on to kick a field goal. So Big Mo was responsible for a 5-point turnaround.

It was a big switch, a good use of replay and good job by the replay official, who stopped the game and reviewed that play with the referee and the Game Day Central crew in New York.