The Baltimore Ravens’ playoff hopes took a serious hit in Sunday’s 27-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but no moment loomed larger than the overturned Isaiah Likely touchdown in the fourth quarter, which left John Harbaugh demanding answers from officials.

A full pool report was released from Baltimore not long after the game that included lengthy explanations from both NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth and referee Alex Moore, breaking down why Likely’s would-be go-ahead touchdown was wiped off the board.

”The ruling on the field was a touchdown. We quickly looked at the play. The receiver controls the ball in the air had his right for down then his left for down. 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,” Butterworth said.

As he put it, the receiver here established the first two elements of a catch, control of the ball and two feet in bounds, but failed to complete the third element: performing an act common to the game. That act, in this case, necessitated a third step. Under league rules, that made the play an incomplete pass, not a touchdown.

”The third step is an act common to the game, and before he could get the third for down, the ball was ripped out; therefore, it was an incomplete pass,” Butterworth added.

That overturned TD was devastating. Three plays later, Lamar Jackson‘s fourth-down pass to Mark Andrews was incomplete.

Another critical call was regarding an overturned interception. Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan appeared to pick off a tipped pass, only for replay officials to reverse the call, declaring Aaron Rodgers down by contact with control.

Butterworth explained, “The offensive player had control of the ball” as both players went to the ground, and that Rodgers’ knees hit the turf while he maintained possession. By rule, that ended the play. Harbaugh vehemently disagreed, saying Rodgers didn’t complete the process of the catch.

While Harbaugh made clear he wasn’t blaming on-field officials, calling it a decision that comes from New York, he questioned the consistency with the standard applied to Likely’s play.

John Harbaugh unloads after controversial rulings

Harbaugh was still in disbelief over the Rodgers reversal. He emphasized that the quarterback was catching the ball on the way down with another person, and because of that mutual contact, Rodgers should not have received down-by-contact status.

The Ravens coach also noted that just as Likely had to complete an act common to the game for his play to count, Rodgers should have had to survive the ground in order to complete his catch.

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“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,” he added.

His comments captured a palpable frustration over the two defining officiating decisions. Adding to the frustration was a separate 15-yard unnecessary-roughness flag on Baltimore defensive lineman Travis Jones, explained referee Alex Moore.

Moore said that on field-goal plays, the snapper is a defenseless player, and Jones made forcible contact. Though Jones appeared to be aiming toward the left guard, Moore clarified that it does not matter who contacted first.

Baltimore’s playoff probability dropped from 64% to 33% in the aftermath of the loss.