NFL officials overturn penalty on Eagles' CJ Gardner-Johnson after helmet comes off, leaving fans skeptical.
The play took place in the final moments of the 4th quarter.
With 5:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Atlanta Falcons were trailing the Philadelphia Eagles and required a crucial halt of their Kirk Cousins-led offense on fourth down.
Running back Bijan Robinson was stopped dead in his tracks by Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who attempted to celebrate the play but appeared to have taken his helmet off.
Gardner-Johnson and his teammates convinced NFL officials that his helmet accidentally flew off his head, preventing a flag from being thrown and a new set of downs from being awarded.
It would have been an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the call stood.
There was doubt among fans that Gardner-Johnson intentionally removed his helmet after tackling Robinson.
The Eagles, with a 18-15 lead, attempted to run out the clock by taking possession of the ball on offense.
Despite Philadelphia's field goal, Cousins led the Falcons back for a touchdown, tying the game with less than a minute left on the clock.
Despite his efforts, Jalen Hurts was intercepted while attempting to move the Eagles into a scoring position.
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