OTL: “What’s a Catch?” Volume “We Lost Count”

Was it a catch, or not a catch, that is the question. It’s a consequential question; the answer the NFL gave allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to take control of the AFC North. Here are two TikTok videos for you that explain the sheer confusion about the pivotal call.

@loebsleads Did Isaiah Likely Catch this? #nfl #football #breakingnews #fantasyfootball #fyp ♬ original sound – Max Loeb

In this video LB Sportz shows the NFL’s written rule for a catch in the end zone. He then talks through the controversial moment. Then he points out that the NFL did not put the clip in the highlights on social media. This isn’t a tin foil hat thing, just human error, but it’s notable. The video maker also explains that three feet down is not actually a stated rule, and that toe taps before falling out of bounds count as a catch. We’ll come back to this third step thing.

@lbsportz♬ original sound – LB Sportz

Lamar Jackson was asked if he thought it was a touchdown reception. The frustrated quarterback gave a very clear yes, and explained his reasoning. “I believe so, I thought it was, in the end zone, taking steps, like I, [they] kept punching at the ball. That’s all I have to say.” That sounds about right, Lamar. The defender continually punched at the ball as Likely extended his arms, but apparently none of that is covered in a football move.

On what would constitute a common act in EZ, Butterworth said, “For this play, it would be him completing the third step.”
Likely took two steps after catch, but ball came out in the process of his third step. https://t.co/RhoXAh8VoM

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) December 7, 2025

How about the NFL’s perspective? Jeff Zrebiec talked to the NFL VP of Instant Replay and was told the following: “For this play, it would be him completing the third step.”

The football move seems entirely subjective, and at the whim of the person(s) in charge of the review process. Extending the football out of reach with both steps could easily count as two feet in and a football move. This became a judgement call. Replay requires clear proof to overturn a call on the field as a touchdown. If that was clear and obvious it is interesting how much controversy this has riled up.

Isaiah Likely probably needs a new nickname now. He’s “Mr. Almost.” He had the toe tap just barely on the end line in last year’s opener against the Chiefs. He had the touchback-causing fumble against the Bengals last week before having a potential game winner taken away from him. He’s the king of almost scoring touchdowns. To be fair, this one should have counted.

Playing at M&T Bank Stadium is supposed to be a good thing, right? Well the Ravens just lost two big games in a row in front of their home crowd. Abdullah Imran from Clutchpoints on Yahoo Sports highlights just how bad it’s been at home for the Ravens this year:

The Baltimore Ravens reached a breaking point in their season, falling to 6–7 after a 27–22 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss confirmed their first losing home record since 2015, currently at 3–5, and left them a full game behind Pittsburgh (7–6) in the AFC North with four weeks remaining in the 2025 season. The setback also dropped their playoff probability to 31%, according to ESPN Analytics.

So homefield is not cooking like homefield is supposed to, and your playoff chances shot down dramatically? I’d say that’s a bad Sunday, Baltimore. The mess to get through as a wild card team is going to tangle the Ravens in a bunch of scenarios, and a lot of scoreboard watching. The AFC East is almost assured one of the wild card spots, as the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are going to be teams with double-digit wins. The Bills just beat the Cincinnati Bengals, which is really doing the Steelers a favor. The Bengals have a favorable schedule, and if they won out they could have gotten their hands on the AFC North crown.

The second and third wild card spots could be an ugly thing to have to earn. The Ravens lost the driver’s seat in the AFC North with their loss on Sunday. They have another game with the Bengals, a battle with the Patriots, a trip to play the Green Bay Packers and a finale against the Steelers. How many of those games sound like wins right now? Exactly. It means the Ravens’ playoff starts before the postseason gets underway, and they may need some luck even if they somehow win out.

The Ravens are now either “In the hunt” or “On the bubble” whichever term you prefer. They are in this grouping with the Indianapolis Colts, the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Bengals. Who would have ever thought that having the same record as the Chiefs in December would be a bad thing?

Whether or not it was a catch, the Ravens are in a woeful Monday. Don’t play like a Raven this week; be better.

The post OTL: “What’s a Catch?” Volume “We Lost Count” appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/12/08/out-to-lunch/what-is-a-catch-likely/