Ravens Clips
From the moment the league office overturned two key fourth-quarter rulings in the Week 14 Steelers-Ravens game, the countdown started for Sunday morning. What would NFL officiating messenger Walt Anderson say, or not say, on NFL Network about the Aaron Rodgers “catch” and the Isaiah Likely “non-catch”?
And, more importantly, would Anderson be given enough time in the four-hour show to address all of the controversial calls from the game, including the unnecessary roughness penalty on a field-goal attempt that the league privately told the Ravens was a mistake?
As to the last question, the answer was no. Despite the importance of the issue to the actual and perceived integrity of the game, Anderson spoke for fewer than two minutes of the 240-minute show, addressing only one of the three very controversial calls from Pittsburgh at Baltimore.
Here’s what he said about the decision to reject the real-time ruling from the on-field officials that Likely had completed the catch process, for what would (should) have been a go-ahead touchdown with 2:47 to play.
“There’s three elements that have to be satisfied,” Anderson said, “Control of the football. And then two steps or a body part. And so he gets control, he takes two steps. What are we now looking for? And the rule is very specific. After those first two, you’ve got to have that third element. And the most common element for receivers that are running is a third step with control of the ball. As you can see here, before that third step gets down, the defender is able to punch the ball out. That’s why the pass is incomplete.”
If we’re only focusing on a third foot as the way to satisfy the third element, Anderson isn’t wrong. The problem is that, as we explained at the time, the replay process has focused on three feet down to the exclusion of the other ways to perform an act common to the game: “extend[ing] the ball forward, . . . tuck[ing] the ball away and turn[ing] upfield, or avoid[ing] or ward[ing] off an opponent.”
Anderson did not address, and was not asked to address, whether Likely had extended the ball forward or warded off an opponent. To overturn the ruling of a touchdown, the replay process requires (as the rules are written) clear and obvious evidence that Likely had done neither of those things.
“We can keep arguing about this for a long time,” Steve Mariucci said after Anderson explained the Likely ruling. “What is a football move?”
And then there was no discussion whatsoever about the other side to the argument. No mention of whether Likely had, or hadn’t, made a football move/act common to the game. More importantly (and more on that in a second), there was no reference to whether Likely had possession of the ball long enough to do so.
Anderson also made no effort to reconcile the replay ruling on the Aaron Rodgers “catch” with the Likely ruling, probably because Anderson and the rest of the league office know that the decisions cannot be reconciled. If Rodgers caught the ball, then Likely did, too.
Anderson instead addressed a play from Thursday night’s Falcons-Buccaneers game. The catch and fumble by Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.
“These plays are very, very similar, except for that third element,” Anderson said. “And so what you can see here is Bijan Robinson gets control of the ball, he gets two steps, and then what he’s able to do, because that left is one, the right is two, the left foot comes down again. That’s the third step, and then he loses the ball. So he’s completed all three elements of the catch process. That’s why this is a catch and in this case a fumble. Had Likely got that third step down while he maintained control of the ball because he was in the end zone, it would have been a touchdown because by rule then the ball would be dead in the end zone.”
Again, they’re focusing only on the third foot and ignoring the rest of the rule, both as to performing an act common to the game and having the time to do so.
Consider this, and watch the Robinson play at full speed, not in slow-motion. If Robinson had possession of the ball long enough to perform an act common to the game (by rule, take a third step among other things), didn’t Likely have possession of the ball long enough to perform an act common to the game?
Even if we ignore the fact that Likely was extending the ball and/or warding off an opponent (and it’s not clear and obvious he wasn’t), Likely had it long enough to, for instance, “tuck the ball away and turn upfield.” But Likely had no reason to do that, because: (1) he was in the end zone; and (2) he was trying to keep the ball away from a defender who was literally attached to his back and trying to knock out the ball.
Here’s the bottom line. Whoever is making the decisions about replay review in the league office (and many throughout the league don’t know who that is at any given moment) has decided to hinge the catch decision on getting three feet down, and to disregard the rest of the rule as it relates to performing an act common to the game, or having enough time to do so.
That’s the inescapable message, both from last week’s ruling and Anderson’s Sunday morning explanation of it. The league office has gone rogue as to the catch rule (and the replay standard), ignoring language that was adopted by a 75-percent supermajority vote of ownership.
At this point, the only way to fix the problem will be for the owners to take control of the situation, if necessary reminding the employees of the league office who writes the checks — and who cashes them.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is looking to have fun again. On Sunday in Cincinnati, it’ll be zero fun, sir.
It’s currently below zero there.
Reporting from Cincinnati on NFL Network’s GameDay Morning, Bridget Condon said it’s currently minus-1 there. She also said that today’s game will be the coldest in Ravens’ history.
Temperatures at kickoff could warm up to 11.
It obviously won’t be the coldest game in Bengals’ history. That happened in January 1982, when the Bengals hosted the Chargers for the AFC Championship. The temperature at kickoff was nine below, with minus-23 wind chills.
The Ravens have activated a pair of defensive players in advance of Sunday’s game against the Bengals.
Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson has been activated off of injured reserve and safety Ar’Darius Washington has been activated off of the reserve/PUP list.
Robinson suffered a foot injury in October. He’s recorded 2.0 sacks with two tackles for loss, four QB hits, and a forced fumble in six games this year.
Washington will be making his season debut after being sidelined by a torn Achilles in May. He appeared in all 17 games with 10 starts for the Ravens last season, recording eight passes defensed, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a sack.
When Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to action after missing a month with a hamstring injury, he threw four touchdown passes in a 28-6 win over the Dolphins. In the five games since then, Jackson has thrown a total of two: one, none, none, none, and one.
Per NBC Sports research, Jackson’s five-game stretch without multiple touchdown passes is the longest of his career.
Regardless of that statistical reality, Jackson looked more like his normal self last Sunday against the Steelers, from the standpoint of his speed and acceleration. And he would have had a second touchdown pass against the Steelers, if the touchdown catch by tight end Isaiah Likely hadn’t been overturned by replay review (erroneously, in our view).
The larger problem for the Ravens is that they’ve now lost two games in a row, with their record ping-ponging from 1-5 to 6-5 to now 6-7. They face the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday, where game-time temperatures could be close to single digits.
Another loss to Cincinnati will make it much harder for the Ravens to win the AFC North — especially since they finish with games against the Patriots, Packers, and Steelers.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson and tight end Mark Andrews are off the final injury report for the Ravens.
Jackson sat out Wednesday’s practice for a rest day, but he has no injury designation after a pair of full practices to close out the week. Andrews was added to the report as a limited participant on Thursday due to a glute injury and also has no designation.
Running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (foot) are also good to go for the Ravens.
Wide receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle), linebacker Tavius Robinson (foot), and safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles) are all listed as questionable. Robinson and Washington remain on injured reserve and will need to be activated by Saturday at 4 p.m. ET to play against the Bengals on Sunday.
The Bengals activated linebacker Shaka Heyward back to the active roster from injured reserve, the team announced Friday.
He returned to practice Dec. 3 and was a full participate all three days this week.
Heyward, a second-year player, landed on injured reserve on Oct. 28 with a fibula injury.
He has 10 tackles in eight games this season, seeing action on seven defensive snaps and 130 on special teams.
Heyward appeared in six games last season, playing 12 defensive snaps and 102 on special teams.
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will not play against the Ravens this weekend.
Higgins suffered a concussion in last Sunday’s loss to the Bills and he was out of practice on Friday after returning for a limited practice on Thursday. Head coach Zac Taylor announced that he’s been ruled out during his Friday press conference. It’s the second time in the last three weeks that Higgins has been ruled out due to a concussion.
Higgins was evaluated for a concussion twice during the loss to Buffalo after hitting his head on the turf, but he was cleared to return to the game both times. Taylor announced Higgins was in the concussion protocol on Monday because he reported symptoms after the game.
Taylor also told reporters on Friday that defensive end Shemar Stewart (knee) is doubtful to be activated from injured reserve.
Tee Higgins may have suffered a setback.
According to Ben Baby of ESPN, Higgins is not on the field for practice on Friday.
Higgins is in concussion protocol for the second time in recent weeks. He missed the Week 13 win over the Ravens before returning for Sunday’s loss to the Bills. There were multiple instances in Week 14 when Higgins appeared to hit his head on cold turf.
Higgins was listed as limited on Wednesday and Thursday’s injury reports.
In 12 games this year, Higgins has recorded 46 receptions for 667 yards with nine touchdowns.
The Ravens got their quarterback back on the field, but had to add two players to the injury report.
After a rest day on Wednesday, Lamar Jackson was a full participant in Thursday’s session, confirming he’s on track to start against the Bengals on Sunday.
But tight end Mark Andrews (glute) and receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle) were both added to the report on Thursday.
For both, Friday’s participation level may be a key indicator of their Sunday availability.
Andrews is second on the team with 38 catches, 341 yards, and leads Baltimore this season with five touchdowns.
Bateman has 18 catches for 217 yards with two TDs in 11 games.
Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (shoulder) was upgraded to a full participant after he was absent from Wednesday’s practice. Running back Keaton Mitchell (knee), outside linebacker Tavius Robinson (foot), and cornerback Nate Wiggins (foot) were all upgraded from limited to full.
Safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles) remained full.
Bengals receiver Tee Higgins continues to make his way through concussion protocol and was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice.
Higgins returned to action last week after missing the Week 13 win over the Ravens while in concussion protocol. But after taking some significant hits in the loss to the Bills, Higgins again reported having concussion-like symptoms.
In 12 games this season, Higgins has 46 receptions for 667 yards with a team-leading nine touchdowns.
Notably as he returns from injured reserve, defensive end Shemar Stewart (knee) was again a full participant in practice on Thursday after receiving the same designation on Wednesday.
Safety PJ Jules (ankle) did not practice for the second consecutive day. Defensive end Joseph Ossai (shin) and linebacker Shaka Heyward (fibula) remained full participants.
