Let's catch up on the latest interpretation of a catch in the NFL.

What happened: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted receiver Golden Tate near the Chicago Bears' goal line late in the second quarter Sunday. The ball settled into Tate's hands with Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller draped over him. Tate took two steps into the end zone before Fuller knocked the ball loose. Tate tipped the ball into the air. It bounced off Bears lineman Eddie Goldman and into the hands of Jonathan Anderson for what referee Walt Coleman initially ruled an interception.

On review: Coleman, with help from the NFL's officiating command center in New York City, granted Tate a touchdown. Tate was ruled to have gained possession within the end zone before Fuller's hit knocked the ball loose. Vice president of officiating Dean Blandino, who works from the command center on Sunday, endorsed the touchdown ruling during an interview on the NFL Network.

The rule: Rule 3, Section 2, Article 7, Item 2 of the NFL rule book requires a receiver to "clearly become a runner" before going to the ground in order to achieve possession. The rule goes on to say: "He does that by gaining control of the ball, touching both feet down, and then after the second foot is down, having the ball long enough to clearly become a runner, which is defined as the ability to ward off or protect himself from impending contact." When watched in slow motion, the replay of Tate's catch shows that he took two steps before Fuller pulled the ball loose. This was not a case of Tate going to the ground before he had possession. By the strict definition of the rule, Tate had possession.

Blandino verbatim explanation: "This is different than the plays we've been talking about, the Dez Bryant play or the Calvin Johnson play. This is not a receiver going to the ground. The issue here is did he become a runner before the ball came loose? Did he have control, both feet down, and then time enough to become a runner after the second foot is down? When you watch the play, the ball comes loose. He is taking his third step. The third step is almost on the ground when the ball comes out. He had demonstrated possession, had become a runner. Once the ball breaks the plane of the goal line in possession of the runner, it is a touchdown and the play is over at that point."

Opinion: I've said it before and will say it again. The rules of a game should make sense. They should be organic. They should not routinely require frame-by-frame analysis to make a call. Some of the most controversial catch/non-catch calls of the season have required replay review to align them with the rule. Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert and Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, among others, will tell you that. This season's weekly confusion confirms that the league's offseason attempt to "clarify" the rule with different wording, without changing its essence, has failed.