So which is it?
Don't see a contradiction, Andrew, unless of course you are bound and determined to find something wrong. Both the "beauty, and the beast" of being the actual covering official is that it's YOUR judgment that counts. It certainly helps when you understand the rule and are in the proper position to observe and evaluate what exactly YOU are observing.
Unfortunately, when you've checked all the right boxes, you may well be subject to pettifogging from people who insist of finding the fly droppings in the pepper factory, but that goes with the territory.
The "play" was the dislodging the football, in the field of play. The ensuing fumble propelled it across and out of the EZ. Whether the subsequent touching by a defensive player affected what was already happening is a judgment call, that an experienced, professional game official, who had positioned himself in perfect position to observe and evaluate the contact, and it's affect, had the responsibility and opportunity to judge, which by the way, he did.
All the rest is "wishful thinking" and "speculation", and most importantly, doesn't much matter, aside somewhat from the ill advised suggestions by Mr. Blandino which were unfortunate.
