Breaking Down The Music City Miracle

It's somewhat late at night and I'm bored, so I figured why not prove the point that I made in my GMIS post below this. Even if it means reviving a 8.5 year old controversy. Like I in the below post, that is unequivically, without a doubt a lateral. And by the end of this post, you will feel the exact same way, regardless of your view beforehand. The position of the players creates an illusion of a forward pass but if you focus on the ball and/or Frank Wycheck's arm (screenshots of both later) you will see why I am so certain about this. First off, though, in case you did not see the video below or you just want to see it again without scrolling down, here is the original broadcast of that play and the subsequent official review with Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, and Paul Maguire on the call.



Now let's start breaking it down.

From the most straightaway, clear cut angle there is, here is Frank Wycheck at the time of the pass with the ball circled only to make it stand out clearer with the somewhat blurry image.

Okay. Now know I say focus on the ball, but that's when watching it live. Now let's look at Wycheck. His right foot i along the side closest to his own endzone and it is literally all but touching that line. His right arm is partly stretched out. Wycheck is 6'3" tall so he is an above average guy. And while his arm is not fully stretched out, there can be little doubt that that ball is more than a foot across that 25-yard line. But you are just being judgmental, there, though, JFein, you can't say that for sure. Yes, yes, I know. I'm just trying to provide narration for the images which will soon speak for themselves. Now let's take a look at Dyson when he catches the ball.

Also realize that this is before Dyson catches the ball so it still has a bit of movement to do. But look at where the ball is. It is almost right along the 25 yard line or not quite. But if you look at it, compare the distance that that ball is now to Wycheck. Is it humanly possible for Wycheck to have that ball outstretched only by what has to be 1 feet? Compare the images again. I'm not saying it was a lateral by much, but it definitley was a lateral and you can damn sure say that it was not a forward pass. A lateral does not have to be backwards necessarily. If the ball travels in an absolute straight line from Point A to Point B, that is a lateral, and in turn, a legal play in the NFL. So the question is not necessarily did the ball travel backwards, but did the ball travel forwards? And I think you can say by looking at those images alone that that ball did not go forward. Joe Theismann said it best, it's where the ball is to where the ball goes that determines whether or not it's a forward pass or a lateral. That's the key rule. How on earth can anyone say by looking at those images that that ball moved forward (forward being on the left hand side). It just is not there.

And as if that was not enough, I'll give this whole argument one more dagger: Frank Wycheck's right arm. You have where it started above, but look at where it ends up.

His right arm is across his body! How can that be if he threw that ball forwards?? It is a physical impossibility! The only explanation to how the arm he threw that pass with, his right arm, ends up across his body in that quick a time from when he let go of the ball to that picture, is if it was already going in that direction. And how would it already be going in that direction? That could only be if he threw the ball in a straight line or backwards! There is no other explanation needed. Look at the video again and look at Wycheck's arm. His arm is moving across his body the whole time!!!! And the direction of across his body is in the direction of a lateral!!! To those still not convinced that it was a lateral, answer this question in the comments section: How can Wycheck throw the ball one way if his arm is moving in the complete opposite direction??? Because by suggesting that it is a forward pass, that is exactly what you are suggesting. Looking at Dyson will only throw you off. It's the ball's trajectory and a close look at Wycheck's arm that gives you the answer of what really happened. And the answer is without a shadow of a doubt a legal play.