Overview
- Early in the second quarter on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, Chase Young hit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, the ball came loose and Jonas Sanker returned it for what looked like a Saints defensive touchdown on the field.
- New York replay officials reviewed the play and ruled it an incomplete forward pass because, the NFL’s vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said, Goff had started a throwing motion before the defender struck him.
- The league cited rulebook language that treats a pass as forward if the passer has begun a throwing motion before contact, even when the ball then travels backward and is recovered by the defense.
- The reversal removed seven New Orleans points and was a pivotal moment in Detroit’s 31-30 overtime win, and there has been no announced change to the rule or to the call.
- Players, coaches and analysts called the outcome confusing and said prior rule edits made in recent seasons created the situation, raising questions about how officials will apply the throwing‑motion standard and how coaches might adjust quarterback guidance.