Question: Last Sunday Miami threw a pass that was ruled a fumble on field. New

England returned it for a touchdown. After review it was ruled a forward pass, and therefore

it was incomplete. The forward pass actually struck a Miami lineman before it hit anyone else,

which would make it an illegal forward pass. But that's not the question. Can the officials

review for whether it was an illegal pass or are they limited to answering only what the coach

challenged — an incompletion versus a fumble? — Ray Orrange, Tonawanda

Answer: Once a call is challenged, the officials are supposed to review "the

totality of the play." For instance, a coach might challenge that a receiver was bobbling the

ball before he went out of bounds. If the replay shows that he had possession but did not get

two feet in bounds, it's incomplete. It doesn't matter if the coach didn't question the feet.

You're right that the ball did glance off the Miami lineman. But that was no penalty in

this instance. The lineman has to intentionally touch the pass in order to make it an illegal

forward pass. This rule was changed several years ago. In the rule book, it's Rule 8, Section

1, Article 8. It reads: It is a foul for illegal touching of a forward pass, thrown from

behind the line of scrimmage if (a) it is first touched intentionally or is caught by an

ineligible offensive player.

Q: How many minutes of actual "playing time" — the snap of the ball until the

whistle at the end of the play — does a player really play in a game? I realize it is a

violent and difficult game, but according to my calculations, three or four minutes is the

answer. I so enjoy it when the announcer says the defense is getting tired. — Marshall

J. Duguay, Buffalo

A: Here is a non-scientific answer. An incomplete pass usually takes four to six

seconds. Terrell Owens' 29-yard touchdown run against Houston took nine seconds. An 11-yard TD

run took five seconds. Two interception plays took 10 and 13 seconds, respectively. So let's

say the average play takes seven seconds. Houston had 76 plays, so its offense had 8 minutes,

50 seconds of live action. Buffalo's offense had 5 minutes, 15 seconds of live action.

I disagree with your implication that the game isn't so tiring. Try running 76 30-yard

sprints over the course of a couple of hours. (On second thought, definitely do not try that.)

If you want to pick on a sport that isn't very exhausting, why not try baseball? It's more

specific-skill oriented, and the ratio of scratching-and-spitting to sprinting is about 100 to

1.

Q: Why have the Bills, during the Dick Jauron era, been so averse to throwing the

ball into the end zone — meaning the ball traveling in the air over the goal line? Good

teams take chances and try to score. — Vince, Columbus, Ohio

A: The previous three years the Bills had a small receiving corps and ineffective

tight ends. Former coordinator Steve Fairchild didn't put a high priority on size at receiver.

It hurt them in the red zone. Big receivers are easier to hit in the tight scoring area. This

year the Bills do have a bigger receiving corps. James Hardy's activation should enhance them

in that area. They still need to develop an impact tight end. Shawn Nelson might be the

answer. Now if only they could get to the red zone. The Bills are tied for 25th in red-zone

chances with 18 in eight games.

Send your e-mails to mgaughan@buffnews.com, or join Mark Gaughan's live chat at 11 a.m.

on the BillBoard blog.