Johnson nearly gets miracle touchdown

An apparent interception by Carolina's Reggie Howard was ruled incomplete.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- The play everyone was buzzing about after the Panthers victory over the Cleveland Browns was listed as an incomplete pass by quarterback Tim Couch in the game summary.
For a brief moment, the remaining fans in Cleveland Browns Stadium thought they had witnessed a miracle comeback.
Trailing 13-6 with no timeouts remaining, Couch took a shotgun snap from the Cleveland 45 and fired down the sideline for wide receiver Kevin Johnson.
Panthers cornerback Reggie Howard pulled the ball in for an apparent interception. But when Howard hit the ground, the ball rolled loose and Johnson, who had gone out-of-bounds then re-entered the field, picked it up and ran into the end zone.
"I just reacted more than anything," Johnson said. "I saw the ball and tried to make a play with it."
The officials huddled and moments later ruled the play an incomplete pass.
"I thought I caught it, but when the ball hit the ground, it popped out," Howard said.
No timeouts
Because the Browns had already consumed all three of their second-half timeouts, they could not ask for a replay challenge.
And because the play began with more than two minutes remaining, replay official Lawrence Hill could not take charge.
"I think we've been involved in some ball games with some of the freakiest plays I've seen," Browns coach Butch Davis said.
"That's the first time I've ever hoped for an interception," said Couch.
Panthers coach John Fox said he initially thought the play was an interception and considered challenging whether the ground had caused the fumble.
"It was a little gray, whether or not [Johnson] re-established himself inbounds or not," Fox said. "With replay, sometimes you get bit by it. I didn't want to risk challenging that."
Referee Walt Coleman said, "The official that was working the play [side judge Dave Want] ruled the play an interception and he wasn't down by contact, so he ruled it a fumble.
"The other officials came in and told him that [Howard] did not have possession of the ball as he came to the ground," Coleman said, "so we ruled the play incomplete."
No challenge
Coleman said that had the play been ruled an interception and fumble, Johnson could have picked up the ball only if he had stepped back on the field with both feet inbounds before picking up the ball.
When asked why the play wasn't reviewed, Coleman said, "It would have had to be challenged by Cleveland. Cleveland could not challenge the play because they did not have any timeouts.
"Officials cannot challenge the play until we actually have the two-minute warning," Coleman said. "The two-minute warning came after the play."
On the next play, Couch's pass intended for wide receiver Andre Davis was intercepted by cornerback Emmanuel McDaniel.
Davis said the controversial play "maybe would have gotten us back into the ball game, but the fact still remains that it's second down and 10 at midfield with two minutes left and we just need to go ahead and execute a two-minute drive like we've done so many times."