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Sometimes you will see an NFL game interrupted right after the game clock hits zero, and everyone will complain.
It’s fair to wonder why the NFL doesn’t treat the game clock more like an NBA shot clock, with strict enforcement, but it does happen. What does not happen often is that a game is broken a few seconds after the timer expires, no penalty is called and this game is the turning point of a victory.
The Houston Texans were lucky. In their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they broke the ball long after the game clock had expired, and Will Fuller V took Deshaun Watson’s pass for 77 yards for a touchdown. That game was huge in the Texans’ 27-25 win.
It shouldn’t have mattered.
“In this case, it looks like we’re almost two or three seconds before the snap, and that should have been called off for delaying the game,” said CBS refereeing expert Gene Steratore.
Steratore explained that the back judge will watch the game clock, and when it reaches zero, he will check to see if the cross has started the snap. This is why you will sometimes see a small gap between when the game clock runs out and the ball clicks, with no game penalty delay.
But it was a blatant failure.
“I’m not going to say anything stupid,” Jaguars coach Duug Marrone said, according to the Florida Times-Union, as he tried to avoid a fine.
The Texans did a lot of good things to get the win. They also took a big break from their biggest game.
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