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The Baltimore Ravens thought they had the go-ahead touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a crucial AFC North matchup at home on Sunday when Isaiah Likely secured a pass from Lamar Jackson in the end zone.
However, the play was ruled incomplete after cornerback Joey Porter Jr. knocked the ball out of Likely’s hands.
Although the Ravens believed Likely already had the ball secured and crossed the goal line, the referees overturned the play after initially calling it a score. The reason? NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth explained in a group report after the Ravens’ 27-22 loss.
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Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
“The receiver controlled the ball in the air, put his right foot down and then his left foot,” Butterworth said, via a group report. “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 put the third foot down, the ball was ripped away from him. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass.”
After letting the play sit for a day, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh still doesn’t like the answer to why his team didn’t take the lead with just under three minutes left.
QUESTIONABLE CALL TAKES AWAY CRUCIAL TD FROM RAVENS IN LOSS NEAR DIVISIONAL RIVALS
“Do I think it needs more clarification? Yes,” Harbaugh told reporters when asked about the catch rule. “It’s as clear as mud right now. That’s how I feel about it.”
During the CBS broadcast, Tony Romo believed it was a touchdown, but rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with the decision to review the replay. He said he probably needed to take the third step or perform a common play move, as Butterworth pointed out.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)
There were multiple controversial calls in this game, including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a Chris Boswell field goal attempt for the Steelers that the NFL admitted was wrong. The play ultimately led to four more points on the board for Pittsburgh.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers also appeared to be intercepted earlier in the game by Teddye Buchanan as they scrambled for a tipped pass in the air. But officials overturned that call, which would have put the Ravens in ample field possession to score a touchdown or at least a field goal.
As a result, the Ravens fell to 6-7, while the Steelers are 7-5 and in sole possession of the AFC North lead. The season is certainly not over for Baltimore despite their record, as they are one game behind Pittsburgh for the division lead.
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These two teams could perhaps determine who will win the division on Jan. 4 — their regular-season finale in Week 18 at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.
