Tuesday, November 23, 1999Coslet: Film shows catch was TD
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerIt will go down in Bengals' lore as the touchdown that wasn't because of a replay that wasn't.
After watching film Monday, the Bengals were convinced tight end Tony McGee scored what would have been the winning touchdown in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Ravens.
Quarterback Jeff Blake fired the 2-yard pass to McGee on the back line of the end zone and as McGee put both feet on the ground, Ravens free safety Rod Woodson knocked the ball loose. The Bengals had to settle for a field goal that tied the game at 31 with 1:50 left.
The Bengals are still wondering why the replay official upstairs didn't review the play. The NFL rules state a coach can't request a review in the final two minutes of each half. Coach Bruce Coslet called a timeout before the field-goal attempt to give the officials more time to think about it.
“It was a touchdown,” Coslet said. “As soon as his two feet came down and he was in possession, it doesn't matter if he gets knocked loose from the ball ... it's a touchdown. He caught it with one foot on the ground and he had the other foot in the air and brought it down when Woodson hit him.
“He got two feet down and it's instantaneous. The ball crossed the plane — it's over. Whatever happens after doesn't matter.”
The Bengals were in the minority who voted against replay last March, and Sunday's game didn't change Bengals President Mike Brown's mind.
“I've opposed the system because it doesn't work the way people expect it to work,” Brown said. “Everyone thinks it's going to be our Lone Ranger. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn't. It's a distraction and doesn't make our game better.”
Or as Coslet said: “The replay was supposed to right the wrong, the difference-maker plays. Well, that was a big difference-maker right there.”
Coslet made it clear his team could have kept the game out of the officials' hands with some better play, but he wasn't very happy with some of Sunday's calls.
He said the Bengals couldn't find the roughing-the-quarterback call on defensive end John Copeland on film and he said the Ravens were up to no good when Bengals tight end Marco Battaglia false started on Doug Pelfrey's 34-yard field that would have put the Bengals ahead 17-10. Instead, the 39-yarder got deflected.
“(The Ravens) were flinching, simulating the snap,” Coslet said. “So they were doing something illegal, and Marco jumped. He still shouldn't have jumped. So what I have to say is that we have to have as good protection on the second kick like the first time.”
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