Mike Tomlin: NFL catch rule 'needs to be revisited' in wake of Jesse James TD ruling

The Steelers coach thinks there is a problem in the NFL when it comes to what is a catch

The NFL catch rule might be stated very clearly, but that does not mean the NFL catch rule is the right way to go about things. Just ask Mike Tomlin, Steelers coach and member of the competition committee, who sounded less than pleased about the way things went down in Pittsburgh's loss to the Patriots on Sunday.

The specific play that miffed Tomlin was a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to tight end Jesse James that was initially ruled a touchdown but was overturned on replay. On the play in question, James caught the ball and fell to one knee, but before being touched he reached out to the end zone to try and score. In the process, he lost control of the ball and on replay it was ruled incomplete. 

Tomlin said the week-in and week-out discussion about what is and what is not a catch needs to change. 

"I think that we all can acknowledge that all of this needs to be revisited," Tomlin said Tuesday. "It's not just that play. We're having similar discussions week in and week out. So as a member of the committee, I acknowledge that we've got our work cut out for us this offseason regarding a number of those things."

This is a dramatically different approach to the situation than the one taken by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who pointed out the rule is "very clearly stated."

And it would be easy to say that Belichick won and Tomlin lost, which explains their points of view. But both guys can be right. The rule IS very clearly stated and according to the rule, James did not survive the ground and therefore did not complete the catch. 

Belichick also has a valid point about what the alternative would be, but there is clearly an issue with the general public understanding what will qualify as a catch. And even though it is a clear application in this instance, and even though it would be problematic to have a bunch of plays that are completed passes before turning into fumbles, it's really, really hard to know for sure whether a play under review will ultimately end up being a completion or not. 

The bottom line is that it's not clear what's a catch and that makes for some very confused and angry fans. Don't be surprised to see some changes this offseason, especially if one of the guys in charge of helping to make those changes wants to see them happen.