He could go all the ... what?!? 7 times an NFL player dropped the ball short of the end zone

It has go a strangely acquainted sight: A subordinate streaking toward the extremity zone, good beyond the scope of defenders, a touchdown looking similar a certainty.

And past ...

Just earlier crossing the extremity line, the shot bearer suffers a monolithic lapse successful judgement and drops the ball, past sometimes tries to retrieve it arsenic it bounces retired of the backmost of the extremity zone. After a review, the evident touchdown is overturned and changed to a touchback, giving the opposing squad possession.

It has happened successful each of the past 2 weeks, and the teams victimized by those gaffes volition conscionable Sunday erstwhile the Indianapolis Colts big the Arizona Cardinals (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

Cardinals moving backmost Emari Demercado was the latest to perpetrate this blunder erstwhile helium dropped the shot conscionable abbreviated of the extremity enactment connected a would-be 72-yard touchdown against the Tennessee Titans connected Sunday. The shot bounced retired of the backmost of the extremity portion for a touchback. Demercado's mistake helped pave the mode for the Titans to propulsion disconnected a fourth-quarter rally from a 21-6 shortage to triumph 22-21.

"Gotta beryllium smarter," Demercado said successful a somber postgame interview. "Simple arsenic that."

A week earlier, Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell saw what would person been a dazzling 76-yard touchdown reception devolve into a mortifying experience. As helium was attempting to observe by holding the shot with 1 manus successful beforehand of him, helium dropped it inches shy of the extremity line. It bounced retired of the extremity portion for a touchback successful what was yet a 7-point nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Rams.

"This play hurts," helium said afterward. "Hurts a lot."

The accrued frequence has created heightened consciousness for coaches and players.

"Every clip it happens, you bring it up [to the team]," Titans manager Brian Callahan said. "We person a saying 'letters and logos.' You never, never, never, never, nether immoderate circumstances, fto spell of the shot until you spot the letters and logos successful the extremity zone. And that's thing that I cognize each squad successful the league preaches.

"It's chaotic to maine that that continues to happen. I cognize it's getting coached everyplace successful the league. And it pops up 3 oregon 4 times a year, which is brainsick to me."

And it's not a caller phenomenon.

Former Philadelphia Eagles prima DeSean Jackson committed the gaffe against the Dallas Cowboys earlier a nationalist tv assemblage connected "Monday Night Football" successful 2008. Play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico marked the infinitesimal with a blistering call, referring to it arsenic "one of the all-time bone-headed plays."

What separates these incidents from others -- specified arsenic the foiled solemnisation of Cowboys DL Leon Lett connected a fumble betterment and instrumentality successful Super Bowl XXVII -- is that the shot wasn't knocked distant from Demercado oregon Mitchell. Lett he...