The NFL officially simplified the catch rule on Tuesday. What was previously a convoluted mess now involves three parts: control, two feet down and a football move.

But here's the thing: ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Sal Paolantonio reported Tuesday afternoon that the new rule was used months before it was passed — during Super Bowl LII.

"I will still maintain ... that we saw this rule in action during the Super Bowl when the Eagles played the Patriots," Mortensen said, via NESN (by way of B/R's Marcus Mosher).

"There is no question about that," said Paolantonio, adding: "I talked to Al Riveron (on Monday) after the press conference — the vice president of officiating — and it was pretty clear to me that it was already in place when they ruled on the Zach Ertz catch for the touchdown and the Corey Clement catch for a touchdown. When (Riveron) had those conversations, he was in New York, with Troy Vincent sitting next to him, with Gene Steratore the referee on the field. They were having that conversation, and they were basically legislating on the fly during the Super Bowl. And now, we've seen it enacted unanimously by the owners."

In our Super Bowl recap we made a point to thank the officials for not bogging the game down in controversy, citing the Clement and Ertz catches as evidence. Here's what we wrote at the time:

First, Steratore, along with head of officiating Al Riveron, opted for common sense over needless controversy. The first test came midway through the 3rd quarter on this dime from Foles to Corey Clement:

At any other point this season, Riveron is calling that an incomplete pass. But we think there isn't enough evidence to overturn the call on the field, which was a touchdown. It's certainly fair to point out that Riveron's lack of consistency on what is and isn't a catch remains maddening, but in our minds, five months worth of stupid reasons for justifying even stupider rules doesn't justify prolonging the stupidity.

The next questionable play came on Ertz's game-winning touchdown catch-and-lunge:

This is a touchdown. There is no debate. But because the NFL's rules are so tedious, and because we saw the officials overturn a similar play in Week 15, when Steelers tight end Jesse James "didn't survive the ground" in what would have been a game-deciding score against the Patriots, everyone's knee-jerk reaction was that Ertz didn't "complete the catch." But he did. He took three-and-a-half steps before diving into the end zone. He broke the plane, then bobbled the ball once he hit the turf -- and after he scored.

Meanwhile, ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck was stunned by what he heard from Mortensen and Paolantonio.

Either way, we were of the opinion then -- and remain so now -- that both the Clement and Ertz touchdowns were the correct calls, under either set of rules.