Why Todd Bowles didn’t challenge the Jets’ near safety on Kirk Cousins

Early in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Jets linebacker Brandon Copeland registered a sack on Kirk Cousins near the Minnesota goal line. The officials spotted the ball at the one yard line.

The initial view left some degree of ambiguity about whether Cousins actually was tackled in the end zone for what would have been a safety. Todd Bowles chose not to challenge the call on the field that Cousins was down at the one yard line.

The Jets head coach explained that decision during his postgame press conference.

On not challenging on the potential safety in the first quarter…

Once I watched the replay, he was in the grasp. It’s just like forward progress for a quarterback. Once they get their hands on them, it’s going to the spot. It’s not going to carry over into the endzone. They (the officials) came back and said the same thing, so we were right doing it (not challenging).

The replay angles FOX showed television viewers also appeared inconclusive. The team of Thom Brennaman and Chris Spielman is not one of the network’s top broadcast crews, which typically means less camera angles than a game the top crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman call. Replay evidence would need to be conclusive to overturn the call.

Do you agree with Bowles’ decision?