Baltimore's playoff chances took a hit following Sunday's 27-22 home defeat to the Steelers, but one key moment late in the fourth quarter remained top of mind for the Ravens.
With 2:47 remaining and down five points Lamar Jackson threw a 13-yard strike to Isaiah Likely in stride for what appeared to be the potential game-winning touchdown.
Likely initially grasped the ball firmly with both hands as his two feet hit the turf in the end zone, but Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. popped the football out quickly thereafter and Likely's TD was overturned upon review.
The league explained after the game that the ball coming out before Likely's third step hit the ground was what led to the incompletion.
"The receiver controlled the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot down," NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth explained, via the game's official pool report. "The control is the first aspect of the catch. The second aspect is two feet or a body part in bounds, which he did have. Then the third step is an act common to the game and before he could get the third foot down, the ball was ripped out. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass."
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that was the explanation he received.
"The explanation was the third foot didn't get down before the ball came out, that's what they said," Harbaugh said.
Likely's non-catch proved to be brutal as the Ravens were unable to hit pay dirt on the possession as an incomplete pass intended for Mark Andrews three plays later resulted in a turnover on downs.
"They made a call, it ended up being incomplete," Likely said of the overturn. "Onto the next play. Gotta get points on the board, we didn't."
The Ravens had another opportunity to surmount the five-point deficit after forcing a punt in Pittsburgh's ensuing possession.
With 1:56 left to play and one timeout remaining, the Ravens got the ball back and drove to the Steelers 30-yard line but a ticking clock left them in desperation with nine seconds left. Before Jackson could heave a Hail Mary throw into the end zone, Alex Highsmith secured the game-clinching sack.
Asked plainly if he believed Likely's play should have been a touchdown, Harbaugh pointed to a previous play in the fourth quarter where a Ravens interception on a tipped pass from Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was overturned into an incompletion upon further review.
"You know what, I believe in a lot of things," Harbaugh said. "I think the Aaron Rodgers play -- we're just talking rules here -- not an officiating issue that comes from New York. When you're making a catch, you have to survive the ground ... (Rodgers) didn't survive the ground. He's not down by contact, he was catching the ball on the way down ... with another person. So, you gotta make a catch there and survive the ground. So, I don't know why it was ruled the way it was on that one.
:... They had plenty of time to look at it, they're the one who are the experts on the rules, that's how it works."
Baltimore's playoff probability was at 64% entering Week 14, but Sunday's defeat cut those chances to 33%, per Next Gen Stats. The Steelers gained sole position atop the AFC North with the victory with a one-game lead.
The Ravens (6-7) are now on the bubble, and head to Cincinnati in Week 15 with little room for error and four games remaining. They head to Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale in Week 18.
