I asked this same question [https://www.reddit.com/r/retrogaming/comments/65js0l/nes_doesnt_work_with_game_pushed_down_works_only/|on Reddit].
I've also been Googling around a lot, and I think the consensus is that 3rd-party/aftermarket 72 pin connectors are "just like that," but I find this answer profoundly unsatisfying. It rubs me the wrong way to play the game in the up position. I want it to work how it's "supposed" to work.