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f you were scratching your head or shouting a few choice words at the TV Sunday as NFL officiating chief Dean Blandino explained why Dez Bryant's catch wasn't a catch, then you'll be even more mystified about Blandino's support for another controversial catch..

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A year earlier, during the Cincinnati Bengals' wild-card loss to the San Diego Chargers, tight end Jermaine Gresham hauled in a 13-yard reception (putting the Bengals in field-goal range) that he also dropped, but was ruled a catch after review. Video on NFL.com shows Gresham high-pointing the ball like Bryant -- also a two-handed grab -- taking two steps in the field of play before getting knocked out of bounds by a Chargers defender. As he stumbles to the ground, Gresham braces his fall with his left hand and the football in his right hand, and then the ball squirts out of his hand when it contacts the ground.

"Is it a catch?" Blandino asked during his weekly segment on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access." "The referee will have to make the determination, did the receiver have both feet down prior to him getting contacted, which sent him to the ground. If that's the case, then he doesn't have to hold onto it when he hits the ground.

"So you're going to see control. Just as the second foot comes down, there's going to be contact, now he goes to the ground. The referee determined that this was not part of the process. He'd completed the catch process, and therefore did not have to hold onto the football."

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So, taking two steps and losing the ball out of bounds is a catch, but taking three steps and losing the ball in the field of play isn't? Why did referees rule that Gresham's stumble-and-fumble wasn't part of the "catch process" but Bryant's lunge-and-expunge was?

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