The Indianapolis Colts looked to be on their way to a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but a pair of questionable penalties turned around the fortune for both teams.
With under a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Browns drove deep into Colts territory before quarterback P.J. Walker fumbled the ball after a sack and it was recovered by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. However, Indianapolis cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. was called for illegal contact, giving Cleveland a fresh set of downs.
A play later, Baker was called for defensive pass interference on what many believed was an uncatchable ball, setting up the Browns at the goal line. Cleveland running back Kareem Hunt eventually scored the game-winning touchdown to give the team a controversial 39-38 victory.
For the Colts, this wasted a spirited performance by veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew, who accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the loss.
However, the Colts weren’t alone in having controversial calls rob them of a win. The Los Angeles Rams suffered a 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers after a questionable measurement following a run by Kenny Pickett gave Pittsburgh a game-ending first down. Pickett’s knee looked to be down before the line to gain, but he benefitted from favorable ball placement:
The Rams had no timeouts at that point in the game and weren’t able to challenge the spot. The Steelers kneeled down three times to secure the victory.
Fans on social media were not happy with how calls by the referees determined the outcomes of two games on Sunday:
Controversial calls are not surprising in the NFL, but they’re harder to deal with when they factor into the outcome of a game. Los Angeles fans and Indianapolis fans have the right to feel like they were robbed on Sunday.
The Colts will try to regroup before returning to action in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints, while the Rams will try to bounce back when they face the Dallas Cowboys.
