(Image Source: Arizona Republic)

BY KAVEH KAGHAZI

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

A Giant mistake.

That’s how some are describing a controversial call in Sunday’s game between the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. Giants’ receiver Victor Cruz appeared to fumble the ball on a key drive in the fourth quarter. Here’s the replay from ESPN’s SportsCenter.

ANNOUNCER: “One more look, Cruz goes down without a Cardinal touching him, this is not college football. Cruz lets go of the ball, the referee rules the play is not reviewable because Cruz gave himself up.”

Fumble or no fumble? Former NFL VP of officiating, and current Fox Sports analyst Mike Pereira says it was a fumble. The Giants won the game 31-27, and Pereira says the call could tip the balance of the NFC playoff race.

“It’s this type of play that turns a season. This type of play could put a team in the playoffs or keep a team out of the playoffs. It is a huge, huge play in what is always a crazy Sunday afternoon of football.”

No surprise here: The NFL said the officials made the right call Sunday. By rule, the play could not be challenged by the Cardinals because it was a judgment call by the referee. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the refs actually got it right.

“The rule says that it is not a fumble and the league stands behind the call and says that the rule applies, that he went down, that the play was over. This is not college football.”

Here’s what the rule states:

“An official shall declare ball dead ... when runner declares himself down by falling to ground or kneeling & making no effort to advance."

So they got it right. Right? A blogger from TC Palm says while the call may have been correct, the rule itself is the problem.

“It was inexcusable -- because it was as much a misapplication of a bad rule as it was an inexplicably poor judgement call. It also was not correctable. And, for that, the NFL should be ashamed and embarrassed.”