The Ravens’ frustration with the officiating is understandable but they must move on.
Three controversial calls, all of them critical, went against the Ravens.
It started in the second quarter, when Travis Jones was called for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for running into the snapper on Chris Boswell’s 32-yard field goal.
After that highly suspect call, the Steelers took Boswell’s field goal off the board, and Kenneth Gainwell scored on a 6-yard touchdown run on the very next play. Instead of leading 13-3, the touchdown gave the Steelers a 17-3 lead, a huge momentum swing in their favor.
Two more critical calls went against Baltimore in the fourth quarter, both overturned by replay officials. The most critical was Jackson’s 13-yard pass to Isaiah Likely, which would have given Baltimore a 28-27 lead with 2:47 to play if the touchdown stood. It didn’t.
Earlier in the quarter, a pass by Aaron Rodgers was deflected by Ravens defensive tackle C.J. Okoye, and linebacker Teddye Buchanan and Rodgers wrestled for the football as they fell to the ground.
The call on the field was an interception by Buchanan, but it was reversed and Pittsburgh maintained possession. Instead of an interception that would’ve given Baltimore the ball at Pittsburgh’s 32-yard line, the Steelers kept possession, still holding a five-point lead.
The Ravens disagreed with each of those rulings and rightfully so. But it won’t change their situation. Losing sleep over it won’t help, especially when they probably can’t afford to lose any more games.
