The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings played in a nail-biter during Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. The Eagles were desperate to snap a two-game win streak, while the Vikings hoped to withstand another week without quarterback J.J. McCarthy forcing Carson Wentz under center.
Facing a 14-6 deficit heading into the locker room at halftime, the Vikings needed to mount a second-half comeback. While they gave it their best effort, Minnesota came up just short, although tight end T.J. Hockenson thinks the game should’ve been closer after his fourth-quarter touchdown was called back.
Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson Grills Refs After Late Touchdown Was Overturned
After a rough start to the season, Hockenson has slowly started to find his footing in the Vikings’ offense. However, he may have fallen victim to a tough replay review in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s 28-22 loss.
With three minutes and five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Wentz hit Hockenson for a 15-yard touchdown to make the score 28-26. However, on review, the booth determined the TE didn’t maintain control of the ball. The Vikings would eventually kick a field goal.
When asked about the call after the game, Hockenson replied, “There was nothing to overturn…I don’t obviously understand the catch rule at this point…They’ve gotta figure it out. New York can’t call in and say that it’s not a catch when every other ref out there says it is, it’s just crazy, this whole thing.”
#Vikings TE TJ Hockenson said “there was nothing to overturn” his late TD, and the refs on the field told him that it would stand, but the review team changed it in New York:
“I don’t obviously understand the catch rule at this point… They’ve gotta figure it out. New York can’t… pic.twitter.com/XvwRpKFFGq
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) October 19, 2025
However, NFL Network analyst Tom Pelissero shared the pool report with the Vice President of Instant Replay, Mark Butterworth.
When asked about overturning the call, Butterworth explained, “We used broadcast-enhanced shots to show that as he was going to the ground, he needs control of the ball throughout the process of the catch, he lost control of the ball. The ball hit the ground. Then, he regained control of the ball.”
On T.J. Hockenson’s overturned touchdown: “We used broadcast-enhanced shots to show that as he was going to the ground – he needs control of the ball throughout the process of the catch – he lost control of the ball. The ball hit the ground.” https://t.co/tstRLjVsMH
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 19, 2025
While the call changed the overall score, even if the Vikings were to score the touchdown and convert the two-point conversion on that drive, they still would’ve needed a defensive stop and ensuing drive to score a field goal, as the score would have been 28-27 in Philadelphia’s favor.
