The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in 2025, but that came with some controversy. Specifically, their Week 14 win over the Baltimore Ravens caused quite a stir. The referees made several questionable calls that went in the Steelers’ favor. The best example was tight end Isaiah Likely’s touchdown being overturned late in the fourth quarter. Likely looked like he caught the pass, but officials determined that he dropped the ball before making a football move. He’s still not sure why that happened, either.
“I really didn’t get an explanation…” Likely said Thursday on Jon Gruden’s YouTube channel. “Everybody on the field, refs and all, said it was a touchdown. Then, we were getting off the field, and I don’t really know how it works, New York or somebody called down… He was like, ‘Nah, it’s incomplete…’
“I asked the ref after, ‘I get I took two steps, and the ball didn’t move, and it came out before the third. But if I was standing still in the end zone and I would’ve caught the ball, and if I were to celebrate, throw the ball up, and I hadn’t took a football move, is that a touchdown?’ I didn’t get no response, so I went back to play.”
Likely’s no-catch came on a 1st down from the Steelers’ 13-yard line with a little under three minutes left in the game. The Ravens were trailing 27-22, so they needed a touchdown on that drive.
It looked like they were going to get it, too. Likely caught a pass in the end zone and clearly got two feet down. However, he didn’t make a football move, which is a crucial part of the process. Joey Porter Jr. continued fighting on that play, knocking the ball out.
Did the officials make the right call? That’s a tough question to answer, and that’s the NFL’s fault. The rule for what constitutes a catch has been too unclear for years. The definition of what a football move is leaves room for interpretation. On that play, the officials decided that Likely didn’t make a football move.
It could be argued that the officials were wrong, though. Likely extends the ball out to keep it away from Porter. This could be seen as a football move, thereby completing the process of a catch.
Also, Likely was in the end zone, and as his example shows, things become even more complicated there. Receivers don’t always complete football moves on that part of the field. Roman Wilson caught a pass in Week 8 that was called a touchdown, and the situation was similar to Likely’s. However, no one overturned that call.
It’s a messy situation, but it’s over now. There’s no changing it. Likely talked about the lesson he learned from that play, though.
“Just tuck the ball… Just take it to the sideline. Take the football and run the whole length of the end zone.”
That play didn’t go the Ravens’ way, but perhaps it will do Likely some good in the long run. Hopefully, the NFL will clarify the catch rule so that this kind of situation stops happening.
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