The infamous Calvin Johnson catch reversal against the Chicago Bears during the 2010 season opener changed NFL history forever. The moment changed how the NFL defined a completed catch.

The play occurred with 24 seconds remaining at Soldier Field. Matthew Stafford threw a pass to Calvin Johnson in the end zone. Johnson secured it, landed with possession and briefly placed it on the turf.

However, while beginning to celebrate the potential game-winning play, officials overturned the score. This was because Johnson had failed to “complete the process” of the catch.

Speaking to the Detroit Free Press in 2018, Johnson said, “They ought to add it to my stat sheet. We knew it was a catch from Day 1.” His comments reignited debate about whether the league indirectly acknowledged the original ruling had been flawed.

The ruling ignited one of the largest officiating debates in modern NFL history. Referee Gene Steratore later explained, “The runner did not complete the catch through the process of the catch,” defending the interpretation under the existing rulebook.

The fallout from the play extended far beyond Detroit, with similar rulings impacting stars like Dez Bryant and Jesse James.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote in 2013 that the phrase “process of the catch” became a term of “derision and mystery” across the league. The NFL modified the catch rule in 2018.

The moment remains deeply embedded in Lions history, thanks to the years of frustration that surrounded Detroit following the controversial ruling. Many still refer to the infamous sequence as “The Calvin Johnson Rule.”

The Eventual Change of the Catch Rule

The controversy surrounding the overturned touchdown by Calvin Johnson did not disappear after the 2010 season. With quite a few more such incidents happening later on, the NFL was forced to change the rule.

During the 2014 NFC Divisional Round between the Cowboys and the Packers, Dez Bryant appeared to make a crucial fourth-quarter catch. However, they changed the decision after review. The reason given was the same: Bryant hadn't "completed the process".

Debates intensified even more during Super Bowl LII. Zach Ertz scored a late touchdown for the Eagles against the Patriots, which many fans and analysts pointed out was very similar to those by Bryant and Johnson.

Finally, in 2018, the NFL approved a revised catch rule. The rule specified that players only need to control the ball, get two feet down, and perform a football move such as reaching, turning, or taking additional steps.

With this revision, the confusion and debate surrounding "going to the ground" finally came to an end.

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit