The Patriots have extended their lead over the Steelers, and they appear to have been fortunate to be able to kick a field goal.
A Tom Brady sneak attempt for a first down appeared to include him losing the ball, and Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave came out of the pile with the ball.
But the officials on the field ruled Brady down by contact, and the league backed them, or at least said there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the call. NFL vice president of officiating was quick to tweet out support for his guys.
No video evidence of either team recovering the loose ball. By rule call on field stands.
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) January 23, 2017
As a result, the Patriots were able to extend the drive and get a 47-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, giving them a 20-9 lead in the third quarter. And the Steelers lost a timeout they might need later by losing the challenge.
