The Indianapolis Colts fell to the Houston Texans by a score of 20-17 in a pivotal AFC South showdown on Thursday night, but if a certain call when the Colts' way, the game may have had a different result.
Late in the fourth quarter, Colts linebacker Darius Leonard knocked the football away from Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and is convinced that he recovered the loose football, which would have given Indianapolis possession at its own 35-yard line with a minute-and-a-half remaining down three points.
However, the officials ruled that Watson maintained possession, which Leonard insists was not the case:
“I punched it out,” Leonard said, according to Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star. “I punched for it, got it out. I had it, and after that, they said it wasn’t a fumble.”
Well, the refs did rule it a fumble; they just said it was recovered by the offense.
Because there was under two minutes left in the contest, Colts head coach Frank Reich could not throw a challenge flag. However, the play was eligible for a booth review, and that did occur.
But, it was ruled that there was not enough sufficient evidence to overturn the call on the field:
“Officials on the field ruled a fumble recovered by the offense,” the NFL’s officiating account tweeted after the game. “There was no clear visual evidence of a recovery by the defense.”
Leonard isn't buying that for a second, insisting that he “got it.”
It's a play that may end up haunting Leonard for quite some time, as the Colts fell a game behind the Texans for first place in the division with the defeat.
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