Week 5 “Official Review”: referee did not see ‘firm control’ on punt-block safety

Dean Blandino, the NFL vice president of officiating, has the breakdown of a few calls in his “Official Review” segment on NFL Network:

• The Seahawks recovery of a blocked punt on the end line, ruled a safety and not a touchdown.
• The rule on blocked kicks that allowed the Chargers to get a first down on their own blocked field goal.

The reasoning on the safety ruling by Blandino was very carefully worded. He said that referee Ron Winter thought that there was not firm control of the ball by Jeron Johnson prior to his going out of bounds. He further said that the play was reviewed, and that the “referee felt the evidence was not indisputable” to overturn the safety call to a touchdown.

Blandino did not say, however, that the officiating department supported that call.

Image: Seattle Seahawks photo