Posted by Sammich on November 6, 2023, 12:24:50, in reply to "Fair question "
Whether he holds onto the ball after contacting the ground determines whether the catch is valid. The placement of the ball when he's down by contact determines where the ball would be spotted (and in this case, whether it's a TD or not). Obviously the former would make the latter irrelevant if the ball had come out.
It's not so much a loophole as it is an application of overlapping yet discrete criteria to different aspects of the play.
Put another way: his knee being down while he's touched does not end the play, in this case. It only ends his opportunity to further advance the ball from that point.