All season long, NFL players, coaches, officials, media and fans have wondered what constitutes a catch. So it’s only fitting that the biggest play in the early part of Super Bowl 50 would center on what constitutes a pass.
When Panthers quarterback Cam Newton hit Jerricho Cotchery with a perfect pass, Cotchery initially bobbled it, then brought it in as he was going to the ground. The officials on the field ruled it a catch, Panthers coach Ron Rivera challenged, and the replay review upheld the call on the field.
Not everyone agreed with that decision. Mike Carey, the former Super Bowl referee turned CBS officiating “expert,” thought the call should have been reversed.
“I think this is a good challenge by Carolina,” Carey said. “If I was in the booth, I would reverse this to a catch.”
Carey was wrong: There was no definitive angle that showed Cotchery getting his hands under the ball, and so the call on the field stood.