NFL VP of Officiating Still Maintains Correct Call Was Made on Duke Johnson Fumble Sunday

The NFL continues to do damage control over the obvious missed call from Sunday’s Browns 31-20 loss to the Redskins in which the team lost a fumble when it appeared to everyone it should have been their ball.

Everyone knows about the call – Duke Johnson fumbled the football when the Browns were in position to build on a 20-17 lead, and right away the officials ruled the ball belonged to the Redskins – literally seconds after the ball hit the ground.

This all took place despite Johnson coming out of the pile holding the ball in his hand.

Two days later the call is still being talked about, and tonight NFL Vice president of officiating Dean Blandino chatted about the missed call on NFL Network.

Here’s what Pro Football Talk wrote about the botch.

NFL Vice president of officiating Dean Blandino discussed it Tuesday night on NFL Network and said that officials “had already ruled possession” by the time Johnson came out of the pile with the ball and that “no clear evidence” from several replay angles showed that Johnson or another Browns player had recovered the ball.

Though Blandino admitted that there’s “no question it’s a bad visual” to see Johnson holding the ball while officials pointed in the Redskins’ direction, he said he didn’t believe the call came too quickly.

“It’s quick but we want our officials if they have clear evidence we want to rule immediately,” Blandino said. “We don’t want an extended scrum. It’s a player safety issue.”