Perhaps the most controversial call of the weekend came late in the Redskins–Browns game.

With Washington leading 24-20, Cleveland was driving the ball in the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead. Running back Duke Johnson took a handoff to the left around mid field, and on his way to the ground, the ball came out.

The usual scrum for the fumble ensued, but within moments, a Browns player emerged with the pigskin while the others continued to wrestle for thin air.

However, the official didn't see it that way:

The Explanation

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Rather than facing the music, the NFL decided to agree with the controversial decision to give the Redskins the ball. Here's the official statement from the league, issued this morning:

Nothing definitive? Really? The call is so bad that even Redskins fans on social media have admitted that the referees made a mistake, despite it benefitting their team.

If the letter of the law is the issue here, then it needs to change. If everybody watching at home can see who recovered the ball, but the officials can't, there's a problem. In most cases, referees do an impossible job quite well, but when a mistake like this is made, replay should work to bail them out.