The Browns-Raiders game on Sunday included a controversial decision to change the spot of the ball after the Browns apparently had secured a first down late in regulation. Another call that didn’t go Cleveland’s way also created some Cleveland consternation.
A quick whistle from referee Walt Anderson on a sack of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr wiped out what would have been a fumble and a recovery by the Browns. Many have blamed the quick whistle on the NFL’s new sensitivity to protecting quarterbacks; if the play is whistled dead before the defensive player can physically harm the quarterback, the quarterback can’t physically be harmed.
The more logical explanation is this: The ball somehow squirted up and over Carr’s left shoulder. Anderson’s body language indicates didn’t see it, assuming (incorrectly) that the ball was still in Carr’s possession when the whistle blew.
The mistake ultimately didn’t have much of an impact. The Raiders punted on the next play and, three plays later, the Browns scored.
