How Different NFL History Looks With New Rules

The Force Out

A lot of people don’t remember this rule.  Before 2008, the NFL had a rule established that if a wide receiver would land inbounds with both feet but was pushed out by a defender before that happened, the pass would be ruled complete.

"“A forward pass is complete when a receiver clearly possesses the pass and touches the ground with both feet inbounds while in possession of the ball. If a receiver would have landed inbounds with both feet but is carried or pushed out of bounds while maintaining possession of the ball, pass is complete at the out-of-bounds spot.”"

It was eventually removed but that does little comfort for Minnesota Vikings fans, who saw their team killed by that ruling.  Five years before in 2003 the team was in the middle of a season collapse, starting 6-0 but losing six of their next nine to enter Week 17 one loss away from missing the playoffs.

Thankfully they were playing the 3-12 Arizona Cardinals.  Things went about as expected for most of the game with the Vikings building a 17-6 lead.  That changed in a hurry.  Arizona scored to close within four and got the ball back again with time winding down.  Backed up to 4th and 23, all Minnesota needed was one more stop.  Cardinals quarterback Josh McCown, and the NFL rule book, crushed their hopes.

Wide receiver Nate Poole clearly didn’t get his second foot down but the force out rule made it a touchdown.  Arizona won the game, knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs and handing the division title to Green Bay, who had started the season 1-4.