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Officials permit punt beyond line of scrimmage, Rams fail to challenge

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Mike Florio and Chris Simms get ready for the Thursday night showdown between the Rams and Seahawks by sharing their prop bet picks.

Things got a little nutty on Thursday night, following a blocked punt. The officials made a bad call, and the Rams blew a chance to challenge it.

Seahawks punter Michael Dickson recovered a blocked punt and, while running to the left and toward the line of scrimmage, banged a 68-yard kick. A flag was thrown, Mike Pereira of Fox Sports said on the broadcast that there can’t be two punts, and then the flag was picked up.

Based on the relevant language of Rule 9, a second punt after a blocked punt does not violate the rules, as long as both kicks happen behind the line of scrimmage and the ball has not crossed the line of scrimmage. (Pereira later acknowledge that point.) However, the second punt must be behind the line of scrimmage. The available video evidence shows that the punter had crossed the line when the ball was kicked a second time.

It should have been a foul. Because plays involving the line of scrimmage are reviewable, the Rams could have thrown the challenge flag. They did not.