The Browns lost a tough game on Sunday and that's a shame. Great season, and a hard fought game. The Browns had a number of chances to win that game Sunday at Kansas City, but just couldn't get it done. The officiating DID NOT lose this game for the Browns. It was a great game, and a tough finish.
But every year in the NFL Post Season there is an instance that is so amplified it triggers an off season look. Instant replay goes back to a post season playoff game with Buffalo and New England many years ago. What a catch is -goes back to a Packers / Cowboys game a few years ago. (WE still don't really know what a catch is). And pass interference was screwed up so badly two years ago with the Rams / Saints, we may never know what really happened there. And now the fumble touch back rule will more thank likely be rethought.
When you fumble the ball out of the end zone as the Browns did on Sunday, you lose possession of the ball and the other team gets a 20 yard advantage. It is the MOST penalized play in football, and it's not even a penalty. Just saying, when two players get into a huge fight on the field, or the most violent personal fouls happen in the NFL, there is far less penalty than this play. Very strange rule. Name another play where the other team is awarded the ball for you making a big play.
How about this? Fumble touch back happens. You keep the ball and you take the ball back to the 20 yard line. That's still a 20 yard penalty on you, but you keep the ball. OR make it a spot foul, where the ball goes back to original line of scrimmage OR the spot of the fumble, and you keep the ball. Makes way more sense. The way it is now, the opposing team is rewarded the ball for playing bad defense.
I have not cared for this rule for many years and now it will reviewed by the league. But more than likely as most rule changes in the NFL, they will get it wrong. They seldom get it right with this stuff when most things are subjective. But this is not. This is pretty easy, if they simply look at it logically.
