1 Pittsburgh Steeler is extremely relieved the Patriots lost Super Bowl LII
Steelers tight end Jesse James breathed a sigh of relief when the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Had the New England won, James says, he would have felt guilt that he had a hand in it.
James was referring to the catch that wasn’t a catch in Pittsburgh’s Dec. 17 matchup against the Patriots.
He caught what was initially called a 10-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 33 seconds left that put the Steelers up 30-27.
But the play was reviewed and the referees found that the catch did not “survive the ground” after James extended to cross the goal line and the ball was jarred loose.
https://twitter.com/burghline/status/965936602806546433
Two plays later, Roethlisberger threw an interception and the game was over; the Patriots won 27-24.
The game was huge in that the winner was all but assured home field advantage throughout the playoffs. By not securing that pass, and thus allowing New England to have home field, James felt he helped the Patriots get to the Super Bowl.
As it turned out, New England would have had home field anyway, since the Steelers were upset at home by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round.
However, had the James catch counted, the Steelers would have been the top seed and played the Tennessee Titans in the first round, an easier matchup that likely would have led to a home game against the Patriots in the AFC championship game.
James said he’s still asked about the “catch” everywhere he goes.
Pittsburgh Steelers TE Jesse James sounds off on the ‘catch’ that wasn’t a catch:https://t.co/bkoURghUiw
— Centre Daily Times (@centredaily) February 19, 2018
“It’s brought up all the time,” James told the Centre Daily Times. “Anytime you talk football, it’s going to be brought up — especially the weeks that followed it. There were a bunch of controversial calls, and it kept going. It’s just the way that happened.”
By now, he said, he’s gotten used to it, but he still felt like it was hanging over his head until the Super Bowl.
“I don’t feel like I gave them a Super Bowl [championship] with that,” James told the Centre Daily Times. “So I’m over it now, but it’s going to be a topic of conversation until the rule gets changed — or it doesn’t.”
It just might get changed.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said after the season that he is concerned about the catch rule and the league will review it in the offseason.
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