The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the St. Louis Rams on a rarely-seen rule that requires 10 seconds to run off the clock if a player is injured on the trailing team within the last two minutes.
How did the Buccaneers lose on a clock run-off?
Mike Evans was injured against the Rams at the most inopportune time, and that’s why the Buccaneers lost.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Mike Evans was shaken up with eight seconds remaining on the clock with the Bucs trailing, 19-17, in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay was out of timeouts and trainers tried to get the rookie wide receiver off the field, but it was too late. Officials announced that 10 seconds would be taken off the clock, ending the game and any chance of a comeback.
The rule is covered in the NFL rulebook on how timing is handled withing the final two minutes of a half.
A team cannot buy an excess time out for a penalty. However, a fourth time out is allowed without penalty for an injured player, who must be removed immediately. A fifth time out or more is allowed for an injury and a five-yard penalty is assessed if the clock was running. Additionally, if the clock was running and the score is tied or the team in possession is losing, the ball cannot be put in play for at least 10 seconds on the fourth or more time out. The half or game can end while those 10 seconds are run off on the clock.
Watching a team try to drag an injured player off the field seems barbaric, but in this case the officials were correct.
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