NFL fans and analysts were, predictably, furious with another fumbling-through-the-end-zone that resulted in a touchback on Thursday night.
Late in the first half of the Minnesota Vikings-Philadelphia Eagles “Thursday Night Football” game, star wideout Justin Jefferson made a big catch and tried extending the ball to the end zone for a touchdown.
Unfortunately, Jefferson’s efforts to score six went awry when he fumbled the ball through the end zone which resulted in a touchback.
As you’d expect, NFL X (formerly known as Twitter) expressed disgust and discontent with this controversial league rule:
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Jefferson’s fumble for a touchback proved costly, too. The Vikings went from potentially taking the lead to seeing their deficit extend to six points, with Philly kicker Jake Elliott booting a 61-yard field goal at the end of the half.
This has been an unpopular rule for several years. Derek Carr infamously did this with the Oakland Raiders in games against the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
But the NFL has had more than enough time to scrap it, and they’ve decided to keep it all these years. As such, fans shouldn’t hold out much hope that the rule will eventually change.
