GLENDALE, Ariz. — Referee Ed Hochuli said Sunday that he upheld the ruling on a fumble by Washington Redskins wide receiver Andre Roberts in the fourth quarter of a 30-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals because video evidence was inconclusive.
With 12:54 remaining, quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a pass over the middle of the field to Roberts, who caught the ball at the Redskins’ 34-yard line. While being tackled by Cardinals cornerback Jerraud Powers and safety Rashad Johnson, the ball came loose, and safety Tyrann Mathieu picked it up and returned it nine yards to the Redskins’27-yard line.
The call was automatically reviewed because it was a turnover, and replays appeared to show Roberts with his left knee on the grass as the ball popped out of his arm.
“Unless we have conclusive evidence, we have to be able to prove it in order to chance something,” Hochuli said. “Otherwise, we go ’stands’ — we leave the ruling on the field. So, there has to be conclusive evidence, conclusive video proof in order to reverse it, and we did not feel that there was conclusive proof that the knee was down when the ball started to come loose.”
Washington trailed 20-13 at the time of the turnover, and following a six-play drive, the Cardinals advanced the ball to the Redskins’ 19-yard line. Chandler Catanzaro then made a 37-yard field goal to give Arizona a 23-13 lead.
“I felt like I was down,” Roberts said. “I felt like when it was on the big screen I was down. But I’m not making the calls.”
SEE ALSO: Turnovers doom Redskins down stretch in loss to Cardinals
Amerson diagnosed with concussion in first quarter
Cornerback David Amerson was diagnosed with a concussion after a collision with Cardinals tight end John Carlson with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Carlson blocked Amerson on what ended up being a 9-yard gain on a screen pass by Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. He was slow to get up and was helped the sidelines, returned for four plays during the next series and then was escorted to the locker room.
“He had concussion-like symptoms, went out of the game, was cleared to come back, went back in the game and they checked him after a series and he was not allowed to go back in,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said.
It was the second time in two seasons that Amerson has been diagnosed with a concussion, and the previous occurrence was one day shy of one year to the date.
Amerson’s absence forced a shuffling in the Redskins’ secondary. With free safety Ryan Clark nursing sprains in both of his ankles, the Redskins started with Brandon Meriweather at free safety and Trenton Robinson at strong safety.
SEE ALSO: Carson Palmer steadies Cardinals in victorious return against Redskins
But Meriweather was slow to leave the field when he tackled Carlson’s left knee on the Cardinals’ first play from scrimmage, and he was taken to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion — at which point Clark entered the game in his place.
Cleared to return late in the first quarter, Meriweather took the field again for the start of the Cardinals’ first drive of the second quarter. With usual nickelback E.J. Biggers shifting to replace Amerson, Chase Minnifield assumed Biggers’ role as the third cornerback.
Veteran Moss active for first time this season
Receiver Santana Moss was active for the first time this season on Sunday but did not get a touch in the loss.
Moss had been inactive for the first five games because he was the backup slot receiver and did not play a role on special teams. When he was inactive for the season-opener at Houston on Sept. 7, it marked the first time in his tenure with the Redskins, dating back to 2005, that he was a healthy scratch.
With Moss active, the Redskins left wide receiver Aldrick Robinson on the sidelines. Robinson had played just 25 snaps on offense this season, including a season-low two snaps against Seattle last Monday.
Also inactive for Washington on Sunday were right tackle Morgan Moses, right guard Spencer Long and outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat. Inside linebacker Perry Riley missed the game because of a sprained MCL in left knee, while injured quarterback Robert Griffin III and cornerback Tracy Porter had previously been ruled out.
Extra points
Left tackle Trent Williams aggravated his dislocated right kneecap on the third and final interception thrown by Cousins as he tried to make a tackle on Johnson. Williams said he “kind of irritated” the knee but didn’t expect it to be anything severe. … The Cardinals were called for a season-high 14 penalties that cost them 108 yards, while the Redskins were whistled for six penalties for 62 yards. Perhaps Washington’s most costly was in the third quarter, when cornerback Bashaud Breeland was called for defensive pass interference on wide receiver John Brown on third down, extending a drive that ended in a touchdown reception by wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. … Because the game between Cincinnati and Carolina lasted 3 hours, 59 minutes and ended in a 37-37 tie, the first quarter of the Redskins’ game against the Cardinals lasted just 32 minutes. Television broadcasts allow for eight commercial breaks per half, and with the Bengals and Panthers in front of a national audience, the network decided not to go to break after several changes of possession. … Griffin, who did not make the trip to Philadelphia in Week 3, made the trip to Arizona and was jogging around the field before the game.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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