Mike Florio ,
Facebook
During Washington’s final drive in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s overtime loss to the Broncos, Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was penalized for intentional grounding on a first and 15 play from the Washington 46. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay immediately disputed the call.
“This is absolutely not grounding,” McAulay said. “He throws it over the head of No. 17, who is outside the numbers. By rule, that is not intentional grounding.”
The play happened immediately after a questionable false start, which pushed the Commanders back to their own 36, facing second and 25.
McAulay’s interpretation is the correct one. Although it doesn’t appear in the official rulebook, the NFL’s collection of “Approved Rulings” specifically addresses the situation.
The language appears in A.R. 8.83. The title of the approved ruling is “Not Intentional Grounding— Receiver Outside the Numbers.”
Here’s what it says: “First-and-10 on B40. QBA1 is about to be tackled in the pocket by B1 at the B48 when he throws the ball out of bounds at the B30. The ball sails over the head of eligible receiver A3, who is between the numbers and the sideline. Ruling: Second-and-10 on B40. No intentional grounding. If A3 was inside the numbers, it would be intentional grounding.”
It’s a exception to the grounding rule, no different than the one that allows a quarterback to get outside the pocket and throw past the line of scrimmage, even if the pass isn’t thrown not in the direction of or it doesn’t land in the vicinity of an eligible receiver.
While the Commanders eventually converted, keeping their game-tying field-goal drive alive, they shouldn’t have had to gain the yardage or to burn the time needed to do it. They would have had more time to win the game in regulation, with a touchdown.
Big Shield combines gambling, pro football, and the mob into a cautionary tale regarding inside information, and the dangers that come from selling it.
Football is back and so are Mike Florio and Chris Simms! Watch PFT Live for the latest news coming out of the regular season, postseason and offseason every Monday to Friday at 7 a.m. ET on Peacock and the NBC Sports NOW channel.
