The Baltimore Ravens lost 27-22 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and one controversial call in the fourth quarter played a major role in a game with significant consequences.
Both the Ravens and the Steelers entered Sunday with 6-6 records, though they arrived at them in completely opposite ways. Pittsburgh started the season 4-1 before a 2-5 slide. Baltimore, meanwhile, started 1-5 before winning five straight, then lost to the Cincinnati Bengals last week.
Both sides were desperate in a game that would give the winner the lead in the AFC North.
With less than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Ravens were driving when quarterback Lamar Jackson appeared to find tight end Isaiah Likely for a 13-yard touchdown in the middle of the end zone.
Likely caught the ball in the end zone and took two steps before the ball was knocked out of his hands. Initially, the referees ruled the catch a touchdown. Upon replay review, however, Likely was determined not to have made a “football move” after his two steps, and the play was ruled an incomplete pass.
“They made a call,” Likely told reporters after the game. “Gotta live with what the refs say at the end of the day.”
The decision took the go-ahead touchdown off the board for Baltimore. Three plays later, the Ravens turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a 4th and 5.
Baltimore would possess the ball one more time, but with only one timeout and 74 yards needed to score, the Ravens fell short.
The fallout from the non-touchdown is considerable.
Instead of Baltimore getting a late lead, the Steelers held on for the win and moved to 7-6. Pittsburgh is now first place in the division and fourth in the AFC. The Ravens, on the other hand, fell from fourth all the way to 10th place, and are two games behind the Indianapolis Colts for the final playoff spot in the conference.
To make matters worse for Baltimore, its final four games of the season won’t be easy.
Three of the Ravens’ last four matchups are on the road. Their only home game in the last month of the season is against the currently 11-2 New England Patriots.
Baltimore isn’t done, as it has a Week 18 matchup against Pittsburgh to exact revenge. But because the Ravens can no longer win the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Steelers, they will need some help to come back win the AFC North.
