The Washington Commanders scored what will likely end up being the strangest touchdown of the day with an unlikely assist from the back judge.
Early in the third quarter, Commanders quarterback Tyler Heinicke connected with wide receiver Curtis Samuel on a 49-yard touchdown pass. The simple stat undersells how weird it was, however. Heinicke essentially chucked a pass into triple coverage, but safety Camryn Bynum was accidentally taken out by the back judge while trying to play the ball. That was just enough for Samuel to make the catch. He was then able to roll into the end zone before being touched for the score.
Another angle demonstrated quite clearly that Bynum may have been perfectly lined up for an interception if not for the accidental collision.
Ultimately, there was not really anything that either party could do here. It’s a bad break for Minnesota, but certainly unintentional. If the last two weeks in the NFL have taught us anything, it’s that you should probably keep your head on a swivel when officials are around.
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