This comes well after the fact, but wanted you to know that the NFL owned up today, admitting the Bucs should have retained possession on the disputed fourth quarter play against the Falcons that involved two separate penalties, a fumble and lots of confusion.

An NFL spokesman, after consulting with the officiating staff, told us the officiating crew made an incorrect ruling after S Sabby Piscitelli recovered a Roddy White fumble and attempted a forward lateral. The ball was awarded to the Falcons after a personal foul committed against Atlanta QB Matt Ryan was assessed to Bucs CB Elbert Mack. But according to league spokesman Randall Liu, the penalty actually occurred after the initial change of possession, meaning it should not have resulted in the Falcons being awarded possession.

The Bucs should have retained possession, even though they would have been subject to the 15-yard penalty for the personal foul. On the field, the officials ruled that Mack's personal foul was committed while the ball was loose, which wasn't the case.

As for Piscitelli's forward lateral, it was illegal, which means -- if I understand this correctly -- the ball would have been whistled dead and Atlanta would not have had a chance to recover it. The decision to give possession back to Atlanta had nothing to do with Piscitelli's pitch. It stemmed only from the incorrect ruling on the personal foul.

Even a day later, the whole episode seemed confusing for coach Jon Gruden.

"After that 15-minute delay, I just said, 'Whatever. Let's just go to the next play,' " Gruden said. "To make a long story short, it was exhausting down there."