The Baltimore Ravens' playoff hopes took a drastic hit on Sunday. Their first game against the Pittsburgh Steelers had massive playoff implications as the two teams jockeyed for the AFC North. Unfortunately, Baltimore ended up dropping the game, losing 22-27 to their division rivals. However, the loss left a bitter taste in Ravens fans' mouths, and it's not just because they lost to a division rival.
There were two plays during the game that had a significant impact on the game. The first and most obvious call that went against the Ravens was the overturned Isaiah Likely touchdown grab. The other call that was being disputed is a supposed interception by linebacker Teddye Buchanan that was instead called a catch by Aaron Rodgers.
The two missed calls obviously had Ravens fans up in arms. After the game, fans demanded an explanation of the rulings. NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth explained first why the Likely touchdown was overturned.
“The receiver (Likely) controlled the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot down,” Butterworth said, per Jamison Henley. “The control is the first aspect of the catch. The second aspect is two feet or a body part in bounds, which he did have. Then the third step is an act common to the game and before he could get the third foot down, the ball was ripped out. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass.”
Butterworth also explained why Buchanan's interception was instead ruled as a catch by Rodgers.
“The offensive player (Rodgers) had control of the ball and as he was going to the ground, there was a hand in there, but he never lost control of the ball and then his knees hit the ground in control,” Butterworth explained. “By rule, he is down by contact with control of the ball.”
With the loss, the Ravens have dropped to a 6-7 record, effectively eliminating their chances of making it to the playoffs through the Wild Card round. Baltimore will need to fight for the division to make it back to the playoffs. The good news for the Ravens is that they still have a game against the Steelers later in the season, so they'll be able to tie the season series if it comes down to a tiebreaker.
