“Does one foot twice not count as two feet?” J.J. Watt’s bewildered X post echoed the thoughts of football fans nationwide. On Monday Night Football, a seemingly acrobatic touchdown catch by Steelers‘ George Pickens sparked a rules debate that had even NFL veterans scratching their heads.

With 8:15 left in the second quarter, Pickens appeared to snag a 9-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson. The officials initially ruled it a score. But after review, they waved it off – all because George Pickens tapped his right foot twice instead of getting his left foot down before tumbling out of bounds.

Former Philadelphia Eagles’ center Jason Kelce joined the confusion. “Is two right foots a catch? That’s still two steps right? That feels like it should be a catch,” he posted on X. But the NFL rulebook proved unforgiving. According to Yahoo Sports NFL reporter Jori Epstein, the key distinction lies in the wording: “both feet”, not “two feet.”

The rules leave no room for creative footwork. A forward pass counts complete only if a player secures the ball and touches the ground in-bounds with “both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.” Players can substitute an elbow, backside, or knee for that second foot – but they can’t just tap the same foot twice.

Pittsburgh’s coaching staff learned this rule’s rigidity the hard way. Their challenge attempt cost them a timeout since all scoring plays automatically undergo review. This rule’s revelation shifted attention to what promised to be an intriguing matchup between two defensive powerhouses.

Defenses dominate as Wilson faces Giants’ pass rush

The controversial call came during a tight first-half battle. Wilson, making just his second start for Pittsburgh, faced off against the NFL’s sack leaders. The Giants entered the game with 31 sacks and the league’s sixth-ranked pass defense, allowing just 179.4 yards per game.

Despite the defensive pressure, Wilson managed to complete 12 of 19 passes for 149 yards before halftime. The Steelers’ ground game found success too – Najee Harris rushed 10 times for 82 yards, while Jaylen Warren added 22 rushing yards and 31 receiving yards on three catches.

The Giants‘ offense showed flashes of life through the air. Daniel Jones, whose starting role had come under scrutiny, connected on 11 of 16 passes for 141 yards. Darius Slayton emerged as his favorite target, hauling in three catches for 90 yards.

Neither team could break through for a touchdown in the first half. Chris Boswell and Greg Joseph traded field goals, with each kicker going 3-for-3. The teams headed to the locker room deadlocked at 9-9, proving that sometimes the biggest plays are the ones that don’t count on the scoreboard.