Pundits Disagree With Crucial Calls That Went Against Ravens
Much of the talk following the Ravens' 27-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium revolved around three crucial calls that went against Baltimore.
The most-scrutinized call was Isaiah Likely's overturned touchdown catch with just under three minutes left that would have given the Ravens the lead.
Likely caught the 13-yard pass from Jackson in the end zone and took two steps, but just before he came down for a third step, Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. knocked the ball out of the tight end's hands.
In a pool report after the game, NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth said Likely did not complete the final third step of a catch, an "act common to the game."
"For this play, it would be him completing the third step," Butterworth said.
Several pundits disagreed with the call, including CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and color analyst Tony Romo.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio: "For any play, the third element of the catch process is satisfied by 'any act comment to the game.' Taking a third step is one way to do it. Others include, per the official rules, 'extend[ing] the ball forward, . . . tuck[ing] the ball away and turn[ing] upfield, or avoid[ing] or ward[ing] off an opponent.' The third element also is satisfied if the player 'maintains control of the ball long enough to' perform an act common to the game. Watch the play, and ask yourself whether Likely performed an act common to the game (other than getting a third step down) or whether he had enough time to do so. And here's the real question, given that the ruling on the field was that Likely had made the catch. Is it 'clear and obvious' that he failed to perform an act common to the game, or that he didn't control the ball long enough to do so? Watch the play again. And ask yourself this question: Is it 'clear and obvious' that the ruling on the field was wrong? The only clear and obvious answer is no."
The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz: "I don't know what a catch is anymore! Actually, that's not true. That is very clearly a catch; it just wasn't ruled as one."
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage, and he and linebacker Teddye Buchanan both got their hands on the rebound. Buchanan came away with the ball and it was ruled an interception.
However, after replay, it was ruled that Rodgers' knee was down before losing possession. Had the play stood, the Ravens, who were trailing by five points, would have had the ball at the Steelers' 32-yard line.
"Butterworth didn't address the third element of the catch — performing an act common to the game and/or having control of the ball long enough to do so. He also didn't address the requirement to maintain control through the act of going to the ground," Florio wrote.
"Butterworth wasn't asked to reconcile the Likely and Rodgers rulings. We're not sure they can be. If Likely's catch wasn't a catch, Rodgers's catch wasn't a catch. And vice-versa."
The other questionable call occurred in the second quarter when Travis Jones was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty for running into the snapper on Chris Boswell's successful 32-yard field goal.
The Steelers took the points off the board, and running back Kenneth Gainwell scored on a 6-yard touchdown run on the ensuing play. The four-point swing gave Pittsburgh a 17-3 lead.
"The long snapper is indeed a defenseless player. But defenseless players aren't immune from contact," Florio wrote.
"In English, the rule doesn't prohibit, as to the long snapper, 'running him over.' It prohibits: (1) forcible blows to the head or neck area of the long snapper; (2) lowering the head and making forcible contact with any part of the long snapper's body; and (3) launching illegally into the long snapper. Watch the play. There was no forcible contact with Kuntz's head or neck area. He was not struck with a helmet. There was no launch."
The Baltimore Sun’s Bennett Conlin: "The Ravens have reason to be upset with the officials. A pair of crucial late calls both went against Baltimore, including what seemed to be a game-changing interception and a potential go-ahead touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely. The interception reversal felt particularly egregious."
Pundits Say Painful Loss to Steelers Is 'Microcosm' of Ravens' Season
If even one of the three calls had gone the Ravens' way, they very easily could've put themselves in the driver's seat in the AFC North. Instead, Baltimore (6-7) fell out of a first-place tie with Pittsburgh (7-6) and saw its playoff chances plummet.
Ravens players refused to blame the loss on the officiating. The Ravens still had opportunities to win the game, but they came up short in crunch time. Uneven play in all three phases throughout the game proved too much to overcome.
Several pundits contended that the outcome of the game shouldn't be a surprise considering how the season has gone for the Ravens.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "Sunday was a microcosm of what the Ravens have struggled with all season: They've struggled to put it all together at the same time. The offense struggled early Sunday, and when it finally found a rhythm, the defense couldn't get any stops. Special teams cost the Ravens points, too, with a missed extra point and an unnecessary roughness call that took a Pittsburgh field goal off the board and led to a touchdown. For all of the pregame hype, the Ravens never put a complete game together. The offense woke up too late and the defense didn't do enough."
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "The Ravens, time and again this season, have shown who they are. The Ravens, time and again Sunday, offered bitter reminders of that flawed identity. They trailed by 14 points in the second quarter and 11 in the fourth quarter. They missed an extra point, committed untimely penalties (five for 39 yards), struggled to rush the passer (no sacks), swerved off course in the red zone (two touchdowns in six trips) and sent a crowd of 70,000-plus home with a loss for the fifth time in eight home games."
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "That felt like the Ravens' entire season wrapped into one game, didn't it? We saw more mediocre play from quarterback Lamar Jackson, continuing an alarming stretch for the two-time NFL MVP. The offense was just as frustrating as ever, at times sticking to the running game to keep the chains moving but often stalling out in the red zone. (Side note: Keeping Derrick Henry on the sideline for a couple plays here and there in the first half, while curious at the time, might have paid off in the second half.) Some brutal drops didn't help. There are no trustworthy pass catchers on this team, not even Zay Flowers. DeAndre Hopkins and Rashod Bateman have been MIA. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are inconsistent at best. The offensive line is in shambles. Jackson doesn't have the explosiveness to bail the Ravens out the way he used to. Even a burst from Keaton Mitchell was immediately followed by a trip to the medical tent with a worrying knee injury."
The Baltimore Sun’s Michael Howes: "The immediate chatter postgame will be on the two consequential calls against the Ravens in the final minutes. First, an interception overturned that would've moved Baltimore into Pittsburgh territory. Then, another Isaiah Likely touchdown overturned. Did the Ravens deserve to win the game, though? Probably not. An Aaron Rodgers who entered M&T Bank Stadium struggling and looking like a 42-year-old quarterback passed for a season-high 284 yards with a 67.6% completion rate. DK Metcalf torched the recently stout Baltimore secondary for 148 yards and seven catches, both season highs. And there were still chances for Baltimore to win the game. After the Likely score was overturned, the Ravens stalled at the Pittsburgh 8-yard line on fourth down after they couldn't pick up two yards on third down. The clock ran out on Baltimore on its final drive as Lamar Jackson was sacked."
Press Box’s Bo Smolka: "The Ravens landed on the wrong side of three controversial calls in the game, but they can also point to other issues in their second straight divisional loss. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 284 yards, including a 52-yard bomb on the Steelers' first offensive snap. The Steelers turned a short swing pass into a 38-yard touchdown. Rashod Bateman dropped a third-down pass that might have gone for a touchdown on a drive that ended with a short field goal. Pressure forced Lamar Jackson into some throws that fell incomplete. Basically, a team that has been flawed throughout the season had many of its same flaws exposed again, and now the Ravens probably need to win three of their final four games, including two divisional games on the road, to extend their season."
CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles: "Not only did they fail to capitalize on moments to win, but they failed to show the resilience and simple execution required of a playoff-caliber team in a December divisional showdown. … The Ravens once again didn't respond well enough, didn't capitalize well enough, didn't play well enough. They haven't for three months. They have one month to prove this isn't how their season will be defined."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Meta: "The fact of the matter is that this team has not looked good for a full game all year. They've put together a handful of good quarters and even a few halves, but almost all of that has come after halftime. In the first half, this team stumbles and sleepwalks their way to a deficit. Then, when they're furiously trying to catch up in the second half, the margins get really thin. Every play, and every call, matters. Did the refs make multiple horrible calls that swung this game? 100%. But, like the rest of their season, the Ravens shouldn't have been in that position in the first place."
Jackson Showing Flashes of Looking Like Himself Gives Ravens Hope
Despite the disappointing loss, Ruiz said there are some positive takeaways.
"Jackson's passing is still shaky but he looked quicker than he has in months, which unlocked Baltimore's sputtering run game," Ruiz wrote. "The Ravens ran for 200 yards on 40 carries, with Jackson chipping in with 43 yards and a touchdown. The defense also ironed out some of its issues in the second half after giving up 27 points through three quarters.
"Baltimore still looks like the best team in the division, and while the schedule is difficult down the stretch, Baltimore is still in control of its playoff destiny, down just one game with another shot at the Steelers coming in Week 18. But that playoff path would have been a lot easier if Likely's touchdown would have actually counted."
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon was also encouraged by what he saw from Jackson.
"With 1:56 remaining and the ball back at the 26, for a few seconds, I actually believed Jackson might help Baltimore pull off the best comeback of an otherwise dreary season," Goon wrote. "It didn't happen in a 27-22 loss to the Steelers, a game in which we still never saw Jackson playing at his highest level. But, for the first time in a while, he gave the appearance of the game changer Ravens fans have become used to.
"If not for an officiating review that, in my opinion, stole a touchdown from Isaiah Likely, the Ravens probably would have pulled it off and the final four-week stretch of the season would look a lot brighter. … But if you're looking for a kernel of hope in this cloudy outlook for the Ravens, here it is: Lamar Jackson started to resemble Lamar Jackson."
