On-Field Refs Did Not Want to Reverse TJ Hockenson’s Touchdown Catch

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T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings played to lose the game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. To say that Carson Wentz kept Kevin O’Connell’s team in the game would be a gross misrepresentation of what took place. The Eagles did their best to let Minnesota hang around, but the total experience was a house of horrors.

With just over three minutes left in the game, and trailing by nine points, the Vikings thought they scored a touchdown. Carson Wentz hit T.J. Hockenson in the end zone and it was ruled a score, unfortunately it wasn’t upheld.

Another replay controversy for the Minnesota Vikings

Ultimately the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Vikings by six points on Sunday. It seemed as though Minnesota had made it a three-point game with a T.J. Hockenson touchdown, but a replay review reversed the call.

Following the reversal, Hockenson could be seen calling the overturn a different version of “fancy baloney” on the sidelines. He talked with reporters following the game as well.

“I mean, I had control the whole time. My hands were underneath it. I don’t quite understand how the refs on the field, even after New York overturned it, the refs on the field are saying it’s a catch. They said New York overturns it, so they have nothing to say. I don’t understand how New York can just call in and say it’s not a catch. There was no evidence that it wasn’t. I mean I had it. I just think it’s ridiculous, especially when every ref came up to me after and says we had that as a catch. I don’t understand it.”

T.J. Hockenson

Postgame vice president of instant replay, Mark Butterworth, talked with pool reporter Kevin Seifert. He answered multiple questions about the overturned touchdown.

The unfortunate reality is that we’re still dealing with multiple different levels of officiating that doesn’t understand what constitutes a catch. This has been a problem for years, and is why instant replay has been instituted to such a significant extent.

Whether it was a catch or not, it’s hardly comforting for Hockenson to hear from those governing the game after an overturn is made, that they believe their superiors got it wrong. It would have been less controversial had Carson Wentz just thrown a good pass, however.

Minnesota went on to convert a 4th and 2 play that wasted another minute of time and just led to a field goal. Kevin O’Connell’s offense never got the ball back, and the late game execution sank an otherwise uninspiring performance.

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