
One of the age-old questions in the NFL seems so simple but yet is so complex: "What is a catch?"
The catch/non-catch topic reared its head again Sunday in New Orleans, as Saints tight end Jared Cook caught a 26-yard touchdown to put the home team ahead of the 49ers 13-7 midway through the first quarter.
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Despite an impressive effort by Cook -- and a personal foul penalty on 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon -- it appears the ball came loose and hit the ground at the end of the catch. While all scoring plays are reviewed, the officials didn't appear to give another look to the play.
Cook sustained a concussion on the play and later was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Had the play been ruled an incomplete pass, the Saints still would have been awarded first down in the red zone -- due to the penalty -- and in prime position to score. However, the 49ers then could have made the Saints settle for a field goal or even forced a turnover.
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The 49ers needed all the breaks they could get, as they beat the Saints 48-46 on a Robbie Gould field goal as time expired.