Bold claim: the Ravens say a touchdown reversal and two controversial calls defined a 27-22 defeat. Still, the bigger picture matters more than a single play. Ravens coach John Harbaugh opened his postgame press conference by addressing tight end Isaiah Likely’s disputed touchdown, only to redirect to other game decisions. Likely appeared to put Ravens ahead with three minutes left, but officials ruled he lost control of the ball before it was knocked free. Instead of trimming the Steelers’ lead with a field goal, Baltimore faced a turnover on downs.
“The explanation was that the third foot didn’t get down before the ball came out,” Harbaugh explained. “That’s what they said.”
When asked if that was the correct call, Harbaugh shifted focus to another disputed moment earlier in the game. Officials initially ruled that Ravens linebacker Tedddd Buchanan intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass that was deflected back toward Rodgers, but replay overturned it to Rodgers’ seven-yard loss for a catch. Harbaugh suggested that wasn’t the right call.
“You know what, I believe a lot of things,” Harbaugh said. “I think the play with the Rodgers play—we’re just talking about rules here, not officiating. It comes from New York. When you’re making a catch, you have to survive the ground. He didn’t survive the ground. He wasn’t down by contact. He was catching the ball on the way down with another player, so you’ve got to make a catch there and survive the ground. I don’t know why it was ruled the way it was on that one. They’ll explain it, but they had plenty of time to review, and they’re the experts on the rules.”
Ravens interior lineman Travis Jones drew a roughing the long snapper penalty on a Chris Boswell field goal in the second quarter, gifting the Steelers a first down and a touchdown later on that drive. Harbaugh could be heard contesting the call and reiterated his disagreement in the press conference.
“I didn’t see head and neck contact,” Harbaugh said. “That is what I did not see. Head and neck area contact has to be both presence and forceful—incidental contact doesn’t count. I didn’t see any contact myself.”
None of the contentious calls altered the final result, and Baltimore, now 6-7, remains a step behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North standings.
In short, the postgame focus wasn’t solely on one play but on several decisions that shaped the outcome. The Ravens will rely on explanations from the league while evaluating what changed the game’s momentum. The bigger question for fans and analysts: how many calls truly swing results, and should tweaks to officiating criteria or interpretation be on the table to prevent similar debates in future tight games?
