Rucker remembered Sipe having freedom to throw depending on how he read the coverage, but Rutigliano said the ball was to go to Logan, or the stands. Pruitt wasn't aware of the call, though, until Sipe and the receivers returned to the huddle. Ambrose stood next to Lyle Alzado on the sideline. Logan said cornerback O'Steen was knocked off the coverage by a Raiders linebacker. Logan crossed to the right and raised his hand.
Several theories exist why.
The first is that the Raiders blitzed, and Sipe was so worried about a sack that he rushed his pass. Films of the play clearly show linebackers Ted Hendricks and Rod Martin closing in on Sipe as he threw. After the game, he said he never saw the result of the pass, because he was on the ground underneath Hendricks. Sipe threw where he thought there was single coverage. That's because at the snap, Davis took a step toward the side of the field where Logan would end up.