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          Odell Beckham Jr.'s 'catch' against Lions: Worst call of the year?

          • Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff WriterDec 18, 2016, 07:28 PM
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              Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
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          A 4-yard completion to New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. just might qualify as the worst officiating call of the NFL season.

          Replays showed that Eli Manning's pass bounced off Beckham's left hand and fell to the ground. The ball then rolled between Beckham's legs before he reached back and "secured" the ball. Back judge Todd Prukop appeared to have a clear view of the drop, but referee Tony Corrente's crew ruled it a catch to set up a second down on what became a touchdown drive for the Giants.

          Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell did not challenge the call, probably because of the minimal payoff. His defense would face either second-and-6 or second-and-10.(Update: After the game, Caldwell said: "That’s four yards. You’re not going to challenge that play. It was late when we saw it, but we weren’t going to challenge it anyway in that situation.")

          Still, the screenshot of the ball between Beckham's legs will live on as one of several bad looks the NFL has had this season.

          My personal favorite remains Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. holding a fumble recovery over his head while officials on referee Jeff Triplette's crew appeared still to be looking for the ball under the pile. Some might favor Triplette's gaffe last week -- he called a penalty on the wrong team -- but to each his or her own.