re: Jerricho Cotchery's catch ruled incomplete after review - explanation?

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Note 1: It is a catch if, in the process of attempting to catch the ball, a player secures control of the ball prior to it touching the ground, and that control is maintained during and after the ball has touched the ground.

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1- Cotchery was bobbling the ball
2- The nose of the ball clearly touches the field
3- Cotchery gains control after 1 & 2 above happened

By rule, it is not a catch.

Had Cotchery had clear control of the ball prior to the ball touching the field, the nose of the ball touching the field would be irrelevant, and it would have been ruled a catch.

I believe this rule was made when the Bucs were playing the Rams in a playoff game some years ago, and a similar event happened when the Bucs receiver caught the ball, had control of the ball, but the ball touched the ground. Even though the receiver maintained control before and after the ball touched the ground, the refs ruled it incomplete and the Bucs went on to lose that game.