Bears Vs. Eagles: Obscure Catch Rule Emerges [VIDEO]

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Photo credit © Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO (97.1 The Ticket) -- The Chicago Bears found themselves on the wrong end of an obscure catch rule during the first half of Sunday night's Wild Card game against the Eagles.

With less than 30 seconds left in the second quarter, Chicago quarterback Mitch Trubisky appeared to complete a 30-yard pass to Anthony Miller, but it was initially ruled incomplete, as Eagles cornerback Cre'von LeBlanc pried it loose as both players were falling to the ground inside the 10-yard-line.

The replay shows that Miller did make the catch, taking at least two steps before going to the ground with full control of the ball before fumbling it. Under the NFL's new rule this year, that would be a catch.

But since an official ran in near the players, signaling an incomplete pass, no one attempted to recover the fumble. Thus, even after review, it was an incomplete catch.

“In #PHIvsCHI, the receiver controlled the ball with two feet down & took an additional step, so it was a catch. However, because he was not down by contact & there was ‘no video evidence of a clear recovery or the ball going out of bounds’, the ruling of incomplete stands.” - AL pic.twitter.com/c0E00tOZwT

— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) January 6, 2019

Here is how the rule reads in the NFL's case book, which is a series of examples within its rulebook that helps explain how rules are applied:

"When a pass is ruled incomplete, either team can challenge that it was a catch and fumble and that they gained possession of the ball, if there is a clear recovery. The replay official can also initiate a review of this play if it occurs after the two-minute warning or during overtime. If there is video evidence of a clear recovery by either team, the ball will be awarded to that team at the spot of the recovery, but no advance will be allowed. On fourth down or inside two minutes, the ball will be brought back to the spot of the fumble if recovered beyond it."

The key sentence then follows: "If there is no video evidence of a clear recovery or the ball going out of bounds, the ruling of incomplete stands."

In a brief explanation following the review, officials merely said that there was no clear recovery, creating confusion at Soldier Field, on the NBC broadcast and on social media.

Reply below - is this play by Chicago #Bears WR Anthony Miller a:a) catchb) fumblec) incompletiond) ???#PHIvsCHI #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/z735K6SfiO

— Snack Time Fantasy (@Snack_TimeFS) January 6, 2019

RT @StevenVanOver: #NFL Refs "no clear recovery" ok .. so it's a catch .. but they move the ball BACK to the line of scrimmage? WTF? Clear to me #NFL want's #Eagles to win this game .. no other reason pic.twitter.com/p21Mjm3VTy https://t.co/5Mn1K3Aguh

— daBears TalkLine (@daBearsTalkLine) January 6, 2019

Trying to figure out how that Anthony Miller catch wasn’t Bears ball pic.twitter.com/8JqQymk4Ks

— Tom Malone (@HollaBackAtChaa) January 6, 2019