THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 1, 1996 TAG: 9610010425
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ASHBURN, VA. LENGTH: 69 lines
New York Jets coach Rich Kotite said Monday that NFL director of officiating Jerry Seeman told him that Jets wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson should have been awarded a touchdown on a controversial play that ended with an interception by Washington Redskins cornerback Tom Carter during Washington's 31-16 victory Sunday at RFK Stadium.
Despite that, Washington Redskins coach Norv Turner said he isn't sure instant replay would have resulted in the officials changing their call on the interception.
The Redskins had a 24-16 lead with 8:01 to play, but the New York Jets had driven to the Washington 3. Johnson leaped over Carter and had Neil O'Donnell's lob pass in his possession as he started to come down. But within an instant of Johnson's second foot touching the turf, Carter reached in and stripped the ball. It rolled down Johnson's leg and into Carter's arms.
After a lengthy debate among the officials, it was ruled that Johnson had committed offensive pass interference, did not have possession when his second foot hit the ground and that Carter, therefore, had intercepted the pass.
``No one saw (Johnson) complete the catch, so the ruling was a touchback,'' said referee Dale Hamer. ``(Carter) ended up with the ball in the end zone and so by rule that is a touchback.''
Washington took over at its 20 and drove 80 yards for the victory-sealing touchdown.
``I'm not sure what the call would have been last night, even with replay,'' said Turner, who is a proponent of instant replay. ``Tom obviously winds up with the ball, but even when you slow it down, it's a bang-bang play. Did Tom get the ball loose before Johnson's second foot came down? I couldn't tell from the views I had.''
The Jets saw it differently.
``It was a touchdown,'' said Johnson, who was so upset at the call that after the official placed the ball at the 20, he booted it on his way to the sidelines. ``One foot came down, then the other foot came down. I had the ball. . . They (the officials) said it was an interception, then a pass interference. . . It turned the whole game around right there.''
Turner said he stayed as far away as he could from that corner of the end zone. An official finally came to him and told him that the offensive interference call was definite.
``There was not going to be a change,'' Turner. ``The worst thing I figured would happen to us is that (the Jets) would have the ball on whatever yard line the officials placed it.''
Kotite finally got involved in the fray, seeking out officials for a discussion of what was happening on the field.
``I saw a touchdown,'' Kotite said. ``They said `touchdown' to Keyshawn Johnson. I didn't see the thing, but I'm sure the whole country had a good view of the whole thing. He said he couldn't turn the call around. It was a very difficult thing. It was a focal point of the game.
``I'll keep my remarks to myself because I've learned that sometimes when you're emotional, it's better to keep your mouth shut. I'll go through the proper channels with the NFL. I've never seen anything like that before. All I know is that I had coaches and officials apologizing to me after the game.''
Jets linebacker Bobby Houston bitterly argued that the call was typical of the league's bias against losing teams.
``We got screwed by the officials, simple as that,'' Houston said. ``It's like people expect us to lose, so if we're not losing, then obviously the refs are doing something wrong, or somebody's doing something wrong.
``Every one of them was out there and no one saw what happened. That's damned unbelievable. No one has a backbone. Why don't we just play without them?'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
TOUCHDOWN OR INTERCEPTION?
Associated Press Photos by CNB