Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Report: VP of officiating says Nate Solder's touchdown shouldn't have counted

PHOENIX – Forget Deflategate. There was an actual rules violation during the AFC Championship Game.

NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said the touchdown pass caught by New England tackle Nate Solder in the third quarter of the Patriots’ 45-7 win should have been negated by an illegal substitution penalty, according to the Boston Globe.

The Patriots should have been penalized five yards because tackle Cameron Fleming did not leave the field nor was there a stoppage in play between the time Fleming reported as an eligible receiver and resumed his role as an ineligible lineman on the play that Solder scored, according to the Globe. NFL rules require a player to either leave the field or there to be a stoppage in play if that player switches from ineligible to eligible, or vice versa.

Fleming reported as an eligible receiver on a second-and-1 play from the Indianapolis 16 with 11:08 left in the third quarter. He didn’t leave the field following LeGarrette Blount’s run and played the next down as an ineligible offensive lineman when Solder caught a 16-yard touchdown from Tom Brady to go 24-7.

Had the Patriots been penalized, they would’ve been facing a third-and-6 from the Colts 21.

“We’re going to be obviously looking for that, make sure we follow the proper mechanics to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Blandino said.

^ Back to Top ^