The Green Bay Packers should have led the Pittsburgh Steelers at halftime, but the refs wouldn't allow it.
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett threw a pass for running back Jaylen Warren, falling incomplete. The problem? It wasn't a pass. The ball went backward, meaning it was a lateral and fumble.
The Packers were well aware. Rookie cornerback Carrington Valentine immediately dived for the football before Rashan Gary scooped it up and took it into the end zone.
For some reason, the refs had already blown the play dead rather than letting the Packers score first before making the call. That alone wiped out any opportunity for the touchdown, but Green Bay could still review the "pass," which Matt LaFleur did. The video clearly showed the ball moving backward, but the officials stuck with the original decision.
It made no sense. At the very least, the Packers were screwed out of a turnover in Steelers territory. And had the officials let the game go on, it would've been a Rashan Gary defensive touchdown.
You can see it for yourself here.
"That's Green Bay’s football” 👀#GoPackGo | @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/JTIMAURMkg
— ESPN Madison (@ESPNMadison) November 12, 2023
Understandably, Packers fans were furious, and who could blame them?
Packers screwed out of touchdown against Steelers: Fans and analysts react
The NFL still doesn't know what a catch is. It also seems they don't know what a fumble or lateral is. It appears that everyone watching the game except the officials could see what happened on the play.
That Kenny Pickett pass was *clearly* backwards.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 12, 2023
What kind of review was that?
Nobody misunderstands the game of football quite like the NFL.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) November 12, 2023
No idea what a catch is
No idea what roughing the passer is
No idea what a lateral is
No idea how to accurately spot the football
Ridiculous taunting penalties
Unbelievably dumb fines
Just a bad steward of the game.
The NFL needs to investigate this. That’s a FUMBLE and everyone knows it.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) November 12, 2023
Officiating crew in the #Packers game right now pic.twitter.com/w4yKuErXEH
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) November 12, 2023
Ok, let's assume there's not some grand conspiracy at the NFL level against the Green Bay Packers (because there isn't).
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 12, 2023
Can you look at the replays and see ANY reason why the call would stand?
Yep. The Packers were screwed.
Some penalties are subjective. Does a receiver have complete control of a catch? Was there a knee down before a fumble? Those kind of calls can sometimes go either way depending on how the officials see it. But this one was obvious. The ball ended up behind the spot where Pickett threw it. How was it anything other than a fumble?
It cost the Packers a touchdown. It could make the difference in the game.