Daniel Jones’s Indianapolis Colts just took a painful 20-16 loss at home against the Houston Texans. The biggest, most talked-about play in the entire game was a Texans extra point attempt that many people in the stadium thought missed! The referee, Clay Martin, had to clarify after the game why the Colts were not able to review that extra point.

“The calling official had the ball above the upright and completely inside the outside edge of the upright, and so he ruled a successful try. Since the ball was above the upright, it’s not reviewable.”

Late in the fourth quarter, Texans wide receiver Nico Collins scored a touchdown. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn lined up for the extra point to make the score 20-16. The ball looked like it sailed wide to the left, possibly outside the goalpost, but the referee signaled it was good.

The rule prevented a video check, so the call stood. That extra point was huge, as it forced the Colts to need a touchdown to win later, instead of a field goal to tie. The team ultimately lost by four points.

This loss snaps the Colts’ perfect home record and gives them their first two-game losing streak of the season. The Colts now have an 8-4 record. This drops them into a tie for first place in the AFC South with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Head coach Shane Steichen’s offense had been playing like one of the best in the league all year. However, that unit has recently cooled off, scoring an average of only 18 points over the last two games. 

Well, as the Colts fans started getting furious and demanding answers, NFL rule analyst Gene Steratore came forward to explain the rulebook as to why the attempt didn’t count on what could have been an extra point from kicker Michael Badgley.

Gene Steratore explains the rule behind the controversial extra point call

The Indianapolis Colts missed a crucial chance to score more points early in the game. In the first quarter, their kicker, Michael Badgley, who usually makes his kicks, attempted an extra point. Unfortunately, the ball seemed to sail just over the left post instead of going cleanly through, leaving the score at only 6-3.

Daniel Jones and his team ended up losing the game by four points. If that one missed kick had been good, the score would have been closer, and they would have needed only a field goal (3 points) to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. An expert on NFL rules, Steratore, explained why the referee’s decision to call the kick “no good” was correct:

“First and foremost, because the ball is above the upright, it’s not a reviewable play. And by rule in the NFL, the entire football must be inside the outside edge of the upright. I mean you guys hit it, it’s tough to see right where does it cross that point. But by rule the entire football must be inside the outside edge of the upright,” he said.

Now, the Colts can’t spend too much time worrying about this loss. They need to quickly get ready for their next game against the Jaguars, which will be very important for taking the lead in their division (the AFC South).