It was a play Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians hasn’t seen in 22 years of coaching in the NFL.
With 1 minute, 20 seconds left in Arizona’s preseason game Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis, Ryan Lindley called for the fourth-down snap but it never reached his hands. As the ball rolled around on the field, six yards from the end zone inside TCF Bank Stadium, a dog pile ensued. On the bottom, according to replays, offensive lineman John Estes knocked the ball out of the scrum.
Waiting for it was rookie running back Zach Bauman, who scooped it up and scored. Except none of the officials indicated it was a touchdown.
Confusion ensued. As did a replay.
On it, referee Craig Wrolstad saw that the ball never reached Lindley, thus declaring it a backward pass, not a fumble, meaning anyone could've picked it up and advance it in either direction.
“It wasn’t a fumble because the snap was never possessed by any of the players,” Wrolstad told a pool reporter. “The ball was snapped, it rolled around, it was knocked around a couple times. Nobody ever had control of the ball.”
Ruling stands. Touchdown.
But that play was wildly close to never being points for Arizona.
Had Lindley touched the ball, the fourth-down fumble rule would’ve been instantly enacted, meaning only Lindley or the Vikings could have advanced it. That Wrolstad saw Estes knock the loose ball backward deemed it legal. Had Estes knocked it forward, the play would’ve been overturned.
“That was designed,” Arians said jokingly.
Arizona took a 28-24 lead on that play but the Vikings set the final margin, 30-24, less than a minute later.
