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The Baltimore Ravens thought they had the nod against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a crucial AFC North game at home Sunday, as Isaiah Likely picked off a pass from Lamar Jackson in the end zone.
However, the play was ruled incomplete after Probably had the ball knocked out of his hands by cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
While the Ravens believed Likely already had the ball safely and had crossed the goal line, officials called the play after initially calling it a score. The reason? NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth explained in a pool 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 was controlling the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot,” Butterworth said, via a pool report. “Control is the first aspect of catching. The second aspect is two feet or a body part in bounds, which he had. Then the third step is a common act in the game and before he could put the third foot down, the ball was snatched. So it was an incomplete pass.”
After letting the game sit for a day, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh still doesn’t like the answer as to why his team didn’t take the lead with just under three minutes to play.
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“Do I think it needs more clarification? Yeah,” Harbaugh told reporters when asked about the catch rule. “It’s as clear as mud right now. That’s how I feel.”
On the CBS broadcast, Tony Romo thought it was a touchdown, but rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with the replay review decision. He said Probably had to take the third step or make a move common to the game, 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 several 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 erroneous. The play ultimately led to four more points for Pittsburgh.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers also appeared to have been taken down earlier in the game by Teddye Buchanan as they fought for a pass in the air. But officials overturned that call, which would have put the Ravens in ample possession to score a touchdown or at least a field goal.
As a result, the Ravens have fallen to 6-7, while the Steelers are 7-5 and hold sole lead in the AFC North. The season is certainly not over for Baltimore despite their record, as they sit one game behind Pittsburgh for the division lead.
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These two teams could possibly determine who wins the division on January 4 – their regular season will come closer in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
