Baltimore Ravens fans thought Isaiah Likely had just saved their season. The tight end snagged a 13-yard dart from Lamar Jackson in the back of the end zone late in the fourth quarter, took a couple of steps and saw the official’s arms go up. M&T Bank Stadium exploded. Then the replay review started.
A few tense minutes later, the touchdown vanished. In the pool report released after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-22 win via Jeff Zrebiec, NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth walked through why the replay overturned the score.
He said Likely “controlled the ball in the air,” got his right foot down, then his left, checking the first two boxes of the catch rule, control and two feet inbounds. But the league also wanted what Butterworth called an “act common to the game.” On this play, that meant a third step. Before Likely could plant that foot, Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. punched the ball out. By rule, incomplete.
Pressed on what exactly counted as that “act” in the end zone, Butterworth told PFWA reporter Jeff Zrebiec that, for this play, it was simply “him completing the third step.” In other words, yes, the officials needed a third step even with both feet already down in the paint.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 284 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing score, while DK Metcalf went off for 148 yards as Pittsburgh moved to 7-6 and grabbed first place in the AFC North via the ESPN Box Score. Lamar Jackson finished 19-of-35 for 219 yards with one touchdown and one interception, adding 43 rushing yards and a score. Isaiah Likely still posted four catches for 25 yards and a third-quarter touchdown, plus the one that got erased.
The league insists it applied the rule correctly. The Baltimore Ravens are left staring at a replay where two steps and a split-second cost them the game.
