You've got to hand it to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they just know how to win games they probably shouldn't win.
Once again, the Steelers were outgained in a victory, downing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, 23-19. But Packers fans will argue they got some help from the refs to do it.
That's because the refs inexplicably ruled a Kenny Pickett pass incomplete when replays showed it pretty clearly was a backward pass fumbled by Jaylen Warren. Green Bay recovered the ball and challenged the ruling on the field of an incomplete forward pass, but the refs upheld the call.
Have a look for yourself.
Questionable call may have cost Packers game vs. Steelers
Multiple angles of the pass show it just didn't go forward. Ruling that it did, even to uphold the call on the field, feels like madness. Anyone with eyes can see there was enough evidence there to overturn. But referees don't use their eyes all the time, often determined to go the easiest route instead of the right one.
The play was a key one in the game. The Steelers led 17-13 at that point in the second quarter. If the refs had let the play go, the Packers would have scored a touchdown directly on the play. Even with whistles blowing the play dead, the Packers had a clear recovery and would have been given possession inside the 10-yard line. They would have had a chance to take the lead with a touchdown or close the gap to one point with a field goal.
Green Bay lost the game by four points and was in field goal range in the final seconds, but had to try for the endzone and failed. There are plenty of reasons they ultimately lost, but that call going their way really could have made the difference.
The win improved the Steelers to an improbable 6-3 while the Packers fell to 3-6.
